What information remains crucial even if new hire data may not be needed?

The actual marital status and exemptions remain crucial because they directly impact payroll calculations and tax withholdings. Understanding an employee's marital status is essential for determining their filing status on tax forms, which affects how much federal tax should be withheld from their paycheck. Additionally, the exemptions claimed by an employee can influence the amount of taxable income, thereby affecting net pay. Consequently, even if some new hire data may not be necessary for operational purposes, this specific information is vital for ensuring compliance with tax regulations and for accurately calculating the employee's gross and net pay.

While other choices may provide valuable information in different contexts, they do not have the same level of direct impact on payroll processing as marital status and exemptions do.