Missouri workers' compensation audit checklist
Your premium is based on estimated exposure at the start of the policy and reconciled at audit. Keep these records through the year and the audit holds no surprises. Print this page or save it as a PDF.
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1. Keep accurate payroll records
- Gross payroll by employee
- Overtime records, kept separately
- Bonuses, commissions and other compensation
- Payroll summaries and tax reports
- Hire and termination dates
- Payroll separated by location, state and class code where applicable
If payroll moves materially during the year, call us. Updating the estimate prevents both a large audit bill and a year of overpaying.
2. Make sure employees are classified correctly
- Review the class codes shown on your policy
- Tell us what employees actually do, not just their job titles
- Report employees who start performing different work
- Tell us when the business adds operations or services
Accuracy, not gaming. Reviewing codes for accuracy is where real savings come from. Intentional misclassification is a penalty matter in Missouri and gets corrected retroactively.
3. Get certificates from every subcontractor
Before a subcontractor starts work:
- Obtain a current certificate of insurance showing workers compensation coverage — general liability alone is not enough
- Confirm the policy dates cover the entire period they work for you
- File the certificate with your records
- Get a renewed certificate when their policy expires
- Keep a record of amounts paid to each subcontractor
No certificate can mean additional premium. If you cannot show a subcontractor carried coverage, those payments can be included in your payroll at audit. And a 1099 does not by itself make someone an independent contractor — status depends on the actual working relationship.
4. Verify owner and officer status
- List all owners, corporate officers, partners and LLC members
- Confirm who is included in and excluded from coverage
- Tell us when ownership or officer status changes
- Do not assume an owner is automatically excluded
Missouri note. Corporate officers and LLC members generally count toward the employee threshold. Sole proprietors and partners are generally not covered themselves unless they elect coverage. Rules differ by business structure.
5. Report changes during the policy year
Do not wait for the audit. Call us if you:
- Add or lose employees
- See a significant increase or decrease in payroll
- Hire employees who perform different types of work
- Begin using subcontractors
- Add a location
- Start working in another state
- Add a product, service or operation
- Change ownership or corporate officers
- Change how employees perform their jobs
Before your audit, have these ready
- Payroll records
- Payroll tax reports
- Employee job descriptions
- Records of subcontractor payments
- Certificates of insurance for every subcontractor
- Owner and officer information
The goal: no surprises
An audit should not be the first time anyone discovers that payroll, classifications, subcontractors or operations have changed. Keep good records, collect certificates, report changes, and review the policy with us during the year rather than after it.
Questions about your audit? Call
417.623.8300 or
send us a note. We will walk through the worksheet with you before you accept a result.
This checklist is general insurance information, not legal, tax or coverage advice. Workers' compensation requirements, classifications and audit rules vary by employer, policy and carrier.