Virginia New Hire Reporting in QuickBooks: What Employers Need to File
QuickBooks payroll users in Virginia must submit new hire reports within 20 days of hire — here is how the fields map and who must be reported.
QuickBooks employers with workers in Virginia face specific state-level new hire reporting obligations, and the software’s built-in new hire report is designed to handle much of the heavy lifting — provided the underlying employee setup data is entered correctly.
The 20-Day Filing Window
Virginia requires employers to submit new hire reports to the Virginia New Hire Reporting Center within 20 days after an employee is hired, rehired, or returns to work. For employers who file electronically or magnetically, the state mandates two monthly transmissions spaced no more than sixteen days apart.
Who Must Be Reported
The reporting requirement is broader than many employers realize. It covers any employee who resides or works in Virginia and to whom the employer anticipates paying earnings. Even an employee who works a single day and is terminated before the reporting deadline must still be reported.
Rehires and returning employees fall under the same obligation. That includes workers who return after a formal termination or a leave without pay, as well as those who remain on the payroll during a break in service or gap in pay and then resume working. Teachers, substitutes, and seasonal workers are all captured by this rule.
Temporary agencies carry their own responsibility: they must report any employee hired for an assignment. The worker is reported once and does not need to be re-reported each time they are sent to a new client. However, if there is a break in service or a gap in wages from the agency itself, the worker must be reported as a rehire when brought back.
How QuickBooks Maps the Fields
QuickBooks populates the new hire report using data from the employee setup screen, though some fields behave differently than others.
Date of Birth — Imported automatically if it exists in the employee record. The field is optional for Virginia reporting, so employers who prefer not to share it can delete the value before submitting.
Hire Date — Also imported from the employee setup. If the date QuickBooks pulls in is incorrect, it can be edited directly on the report.
First Day of Work — This is a mandatory field. Virginia defines it as the date an employee first performs paid work. Because most employers treat the hire date as the first day of work, QuickBooks automatically copies the “Date of Hire” value into this field. Employers should verify that the two dates align — if an employee completed paperwork before actually starting, the dates may differ.
Medical Benefits Availability — Optional. Employers who choose to include it enter “Y” if medical benefits are available to the employee or “N” if they are not.
Employee State of Hire — Imported from the employee setup if present. The field is optional for most filers but required for multi-state employers.
What to Check Before Filing
The most common pitfall is incomplete employee setup data. Because QuickBooks draws on the fields already entered — date of birth, hire date, state of hire — any gaps or errors in the employee record carry through to the report. Employers running payroll in Virginia should confirm that hire dates are accurate and that the mandatory “First Day of Work” field reflects the actual first day of paid work rather than an onboarding or paperwork date.
For broader guidance on QuickBooks payroll setup and reporting workflows, our QuickBooks Online help resources cover related configuration and troubleshooting topics.