A hiring credit is only as good as the file behind it. Claims are reviewed long after the people involved have moved on, so the documentation has to speak for itself.
The core file, per employee
Every claimed hire should have a complete, self-contained record.
- Dated pre-screening notice showing it preceded the offer
- Certification request and the agency's response
- Payroll extract showing hours worked and qualified wages
- Start date, work location and role at the time of hire
The program file
Alongside employee records, keep the reasoning: which programs were pursued, which were declined and why, and what the methodology was for calculating value.
Retention
Retain records well past the filing year. Statutes vary and amended returns extend exposure, so the practical answer is to keep everything for the longest applicable period rather than tracking each separately.
If a stranger cannot reconstruct the claim from the file alone, the file is not finished.
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