Admins with the required permissions can cancel the Gusto plan at any time. If you previously cancelled an account, you may still be able to reactivate it.
Important reminders
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Before you cancel your Gusto account, make sure you read each dropdown below to learn what happens after.
Once your account is canceled, you'll still have unlimited access to your Gusto account to view company forms, reports, employee information, and past payrolls that were run through Gusto.
Employees and contractors will also still be able to sign in to their accounts to view their paystubs and forms.
To stay compliant, if there are bank transactions associated with the account, we typically cannot delete it entirely—in these cases, you'll need to go through the cancellation flow to close the account.
Alternatively, if you accidentally created a Gusto account and never used it, you may be able to delete your inactive account entirely—contact us before you cancel in Gusto.
If one or more of your payrolls is on autopilot, you must first turn it off before you can cancel your account. To do so:
We'll ask you to let us know how you'd like us to handle future tax payments and tax filings. If you have questions about what selections are best for your company's unique situation, we recommend working with an accountant or another third party (ex. new payroll provider).
A few reminders:
If you choose for Gusto to pay outstanding taxes and file all tax filings for the remainder of the year (including W-2s and 1099s):
Federal filings
State filings
If there are no applicable wages in a state:
For states that require annual returns before the usual due date (after closing an account)
In some states, after you close an account, they ask you to file the annual return before the usual end-of-year due date. In these cases, the company will need to file it outside of Gusto. We do not create end-of-year returns until the year officially ends.
If you have an integrated Workers' Comp policy, contact our partner AP Intego at [email protected] and include your company name so the required cancellation form can be signed in a timely manner.
If your benefits are managed by Gusto, let us know how you'll plan to handle your benefits moving forward before canceling your Gusto account.
If you're using an integrated 401(k), you'll need to reach out to your 401(k) partner directly to let them know if you're moving to a new provider, or shutting down your business.
If you've canceled your account and elected for Gusto to process quarterly and yearly filings:
If your business is exempt from state unemployment, or you have an exempt employee, you'll likely owe additional FUTA taxes at the end of the year.
When canceling your Gusto account, if you elect for us to pay outstanding taxes, we'll handle the collection and payment of the amount owed—you'll see this in the form of a tax reconciliation payroll processed at the end of the year.
If you elect to handle outstanding payments outside of Gusto, we'll refund any FUTA taxes we've collected through payroll, and you'll be responsible for paying the full FUTA amount owed to the agency directly.
After you cancel, you'll still have access to your account and all historical records. If you're a seasonal company, or you aren't running payroll for a short period of time, you can keep your account active so that Gusto continues to file for you.
Reminder: You cannot cancel your account if a payroll is in progress. In progress means you've submitted the payroll, and it has a check date of today, or later. Once your last check date passes, you can cancel.
If your company has previously paid Colorado local taxes, read the "Colorado Local Taxes" section below.
The cancellation will be effective immediately, but you'll continue to have access to your account and all historical records. Your final invoice is not prorated, meaning you'll be charged for the entire month of service.
We don't want to see you go, but we do want to know why—leave a comment on this article with any additional detail you'd like to provide.
If you've canceled your account and elected for Gusto to process quarterly and yearly filings:
If your Gusto account is billed to your accountant or Gusto partner who manages your payroll, benefits, or HR, you must contact them, so they can cancel for you.