Filling out your UKG forms means logging into your employer’s UKG portal and completing your onboarding and payroll paperwork on screen: the federal W-4, your state withholding certificate, Form I-9, and direct deposit authorization. The workflow is the same for each form. Open the right section of the self-service menu, fill in the fields, apply your electronic signature, and save the confirmation. What changes from form to form is the information you need to have in front of you before you start.
What to Have Ready Before You Log In
Gathering your documents and account details first saves time and prevents the kind of small error that stalls onboarding or delays a paycheck.
For the W-4, you need your filing status (single, married filing jointly, or head of household) and the number of qualifying dependents. Children under 17 count for a $2,200 credit each in Step 3; other dependents count for $500.1Internal Revenue Service. Form W-4 – Employee’s Withholding Certificate For 2026, the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, and $24,150 for heads of household.2Internal Revenue Service. IRS Releases Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2026 If you work a second job or your spouse works, have that income information ready for Step 2.
For direct deposit, you need the nine-digit routing number and the account number for each bank account, plus whether each is checking or savings. These numbers appear at the bottom of a personal check. If you only have a debit card or savings account, call your bank. The number on a debit card is not your account number, and the routing number on a deposit slip is sometimes different from the one used for electronic transfers.
For Form I-9, you need original documents that prove both your identity and your work authorization.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification You can either present one document from List A (such as a U.S. passport or permanent resident card, which proves both) or one from List B (identity, such as a driver’s license) together with one from List C (work authorization, such as a Social Security card without employment restrictions).4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9 Acceptable Documents Your employer cannot tell you which specific documents to bring. The choice is yours. Photocopies are not accepted, with the narrow exception of certified birth certificates.
For state withholding, requirements vary. Most states with an income tax have their own certificate separate from the federal W-4, and you’ll generally need your state filing status and any allowances or exemptions you’re claiming. Some states, including California and New York, use a worksheet based on dependents, deductions, and additional income. Check with your employer or state tax agency for the form your state uses.
Where the Forms Live in UKG
Your employer provides the login URL, which varies by company. UKG comes in several product versions, most commonly UKG Pro and UKG Ready, and the interface differs slightly between them. New hires usually get initial credentials or a setup link in an onboarding email.
Once logged in, look under the self-service menu. In UKG Pro, tax forms are typically found at Myself → Pay → Income Tax.5UKG. Change My Federal W-4 In UKG Ready, direct deposit and other HR tasks live under My HR → HR Actions → Available. If a form isn’t where you expect, try the search bar or ask HR. Some employers restrict certain forms to specific enrollment windows or onboarding workflows.
Filling Out the W-4
In UKG Pro, choose Add/Change Withholding Form (W-4) under “Things I Can Do” inside the Income Tax section, then select Federal Employee’s Withholding Certificate (W-4).5UKG. Change My Federal W-4 The system first asks whether your paychecks are subject to federal income tax. Answer no if you’re claiming exemption and expect to owe zero tax; the form then skips ahead. Answer yes and you work through the same steps as the paper W-4:
- Step 1: pick your filing status.
- Step 2: indicate whether you or your spouse hold more than one job. If so, the system may point you to the IRS multiple-jobs worksheet or its online Tax Withholding Estimator.
- Step 3: enter qualifying children under 17 and other dependents. UKG calculates the credit for you.
- Step 4: enter additional income not from jobs, extra deductions beyond the standard amount, and any extra withholding per pay period.
Click Next for a review screen. Check the box confirming your information is true and correct under penalty of perjury, then click Sign & Save.5UKG. Change My Federal W-4
The most common mistake is leaving Step 2 blank when both spouses work. That leads to underwithholding across the year and a surprise tax bill in April. You can submit a new W-4 through UKG at any time. Marriage, a new child, or a second job are all reasons to update it. Each new submission replaces the previous one; there is no amendment process.
Setting Up or Changing Direct Deposit
In UKG Ready, go to My HR → HR Actions, open the Available tab, and pick Update My Direct Deposit. In UKG Pro, look under Myself → Pay for a direct deposit option. Exact labels depend on how your employer configured the system.
When adding an account, select the deposit type, choose checking or savings, and enter the routing and account numbers. UKG asks for the account number twice to catch typos. Then pick a calculation method. If all your pay goes to one account, select Entire/Remainder. If you’re splitting your paycheck, enter the fixed-amount accounts first and set the last one to Entire/Remainder so it catches whatever’s left.
To change an existing direct deposit, cancel the old account by setting an end date, then add the new account with a start date after the cancellation. That prevents a gap where your pay has nowhere to go. Federal rules require your written or electronic consent for direct deposit, and your employer must give you a copy of the authorization terms.6Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Regulation E – Section 1005.10 Preauthorized Transfers Changes usually take effect by the next pay cycle, depending on when your employer runs payroll.
Completing Form I-9
You must complete Section 1 of Form I-9 no later than your first day of work, and your employer must complete Section 2 within three business days of your start date.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Completing Section 1, Employee Information and Attestation If your employer uses UKG Pro’s onboarding module, Section 2 may run through a remote verification option: you present documents over a video call, and your employer checks the “Alternative Procedure” box.8UKG. Everything You Need to Know About the Form I-9 Alternative Procedure Process Whether the check happens in person or on video, have your originals ready.
Signing, Submitting, and Saving Proof
Every form in UKG requires an electronic signature: a PIN, a typed name, or a confirmation checkbox. Under the federal ESIGN Act, an electronic signature carries the same legal effect as ink on paper.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC Chapter 96 – Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Checking the perjury box on a W-4 and clicking submit is the same legal commitment as signing the paper version at HR.
After you sign, UKG asks you to verify the submission, then displays a confirmation message or reference number. Save it. A screenshot or PDF of that confirmation is your proof if a dispute later comes up about what you submitted or when.
Tracking Status and Fixing Mistakes
Submitted forms enter your employer’s approval workflow. UKG’s notification center or activity feed shows a status label such as Pending, In Review, or Approved. Most W-4 and direct deposit changes clear within one to two pay cycles. If payroll finds a problem, a missing field or a routing number that doesn’t match, the form comes back with notes on what to fix.
For W-4 corrections, submit a new W-4 through the same path. The new withholding takes effect on the next payroll run after your employer processes it.
Form I-9 corrections work differently and are more sensitive. If you made a mistake in Section 1, you must fix it yourself: draw a line through the wrong entry, write in the correct information, and initial and date the change.10U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Guidance for Employers Conducting Internal Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 Audits Your employer handles Sections 2 and 3 the same way. If the wrong version of the form was used, your employer can attach the old form to a current blank version with an explanation. Correction fluid and erasures are never acceptable on an I-9. Corrections must be visible. I-9 paperwork violations carry civil penalties of $288 to $2,861 per affected individual under the most recent federal adjustment.11Federal Register. Civil Monetary Penalty Adjustments for Inflation
Keeping Your Forms Current
Your onboarding forms are not a one-time task. When your circumstances change, a new address, a new bank account, a marriage, a new dependent, go back into UKG and update the relevant form. A W-4 filed when you were single with no children will withhold the wrong amount after those facts change, and you won’t find out until you file a return.
Save your own copies as you go. Download or print each completed form from UKG when you submit it, and keep the confirmation. If you change employers and later need to prove what you filed, your employer’s records don’t travel with you. Keep UKG notifications turned on so a returned form doesn’t sit in your queue unnoticed, which can delay a paycheck or leave your withholding stuck at the wrong amount.