Before you can pay employees, make sure you've registered for payroll in their applicable work state. This can sometimes take several weeks—the sooner you start the process, the sooner you'll have the tax account info required to pay them. Learn more about paying your first employee in a new state by watching this quick tutorial.
Gusto partners with CorpNet to help you register in the state—learn more below.
Click Register a company with state agencies or Find account numbers and rate info—the company is already registered with the state to learn more about:
Once a work address has been added in a new state and a new employee has been hired and assigned a work address in that state, you can get registration assistance in Gusto.
Pricing varies by state—get started below and during step 4, you'll review the price, process, and estimated timeline to completion.
Here’s a snapshot of the process:
CorpNet can walk you through entering any info that they themselves do not enter in Gusto on your behalf.
After you send your order, we’ll email you with status updates and add your order total to your next monthly invoice.
When your order is complete, you’ll receive emails from both Gusto and CorpNet. They’ll detail the next steps which include:
Before your order is completed, you can use the link in the state registration confirmation email from Gusto to check the status of your order.
You can also check the status in your Gusto account:
If an order is already completed, you'll need to contact CorpNet at [email protected] or 1(888) 449-2638 to cancel. They’re open Monday-Friday from 7am-5pm PT.
If your order is still in progress, you can cancel from your Gusto account:
Q: Can I run payroll for my employees before my registration is complete?
A: Not in most cases—you typically need to have a withholding account number and required tax rate(s) in Gusto before you can run payroll.
If you’re registering in a state where there is no income tax withheld, you can use the state-specific “new employer rate” in this article until you receive your company-assigned rate from the agency.
Q: Can I use Gusto to register in a new state if I don't have a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) yet?
A: No–you must have a FEIN entered in Gusto to order a state tax registration.
Q: Where can I see all my tax information?
A: You can see all tax details in the following locations:
Gusto’s state tax registration service does not contain tax, legal, financial, or HR advice. Since rules and regulations change over time and can vary by location, consult a lawyer, HR expert, or accountant for specific guidance.
Q: My company is a nonprofit and I'm unable to enter 0% in the responsible party section, what do I do?
A: Some states have a 1% minimum for the responsible party ownership percentage. Those states are: ID, KS, MN, OH, SC, DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, and RI.
Registration orders will need to be placed directly through CorpNet, outside of Gusto, or you'll need to register directly with the agency yourself.
Click the dropdowns below to learn how to register with state agencies and how to give Gusto the third party access (TPA) we'll need to file and pay certain taxes on your behalf.
Register with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) to receive:
You should receive your DFA Account ID and filing schedule by mail in 1-2 weeks—keep this time frame in mind when planning your first Arkansas payroll.
If you're having any Gusto-specific authorization issues, scroll to the "Troubleshoot Department of Finance and Administration authorization issues" headline below.
Once a valid Arkansas work address has been added in Gusto for one or more employee(s), you can add your tax account information:
Some agencies require special authorization for Gusto to pay or file your taxes. To ensure successful authorization, verify that you've added the ‘Withholding’ tax type to your account. You'll also need to make sure the following information entered in your Gusto account matches what's on file with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration:
If Gusto is having trouble gaining access to your account, verify that the above information matches exactly what the agency has on file by calling them at (501) 683-2827 or (877) 280-2827.
Your company becomes liable for state unemployment insurance tax once the company has had at least one Arkansas-employee working for some portion of ten or more days during a calendar year.
If you need to run payroll and do not yet meet the above requirements, Gusto allows it—we just suggest you add the "New employer SUI tax rate" specific to Arkansas in the meantime.
You'll want to make sure during registration that the AR Division of Workforce Services is aware of when you plan to become liable—eventually, Gusto will need:
Registration should take about 5 minutes to complete, and you'll receive confirmation by email once done. Reference this employer handbook if you run into any issues.
Register with the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services here.
Unemployment tax rate (experience rate)
New employers should complete the employer registration process to get their agency-assigned new employer rate. The AR Experience Rate will also appear on the Rate Notice that you receive from the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services.
If you're unsure, verify your rate by calling the agency directly at (501) 682-3798.
Click here to view state-by-state new employer rates and wage bases (not company-specific).
Once a valid Arkansas work address has been added in Gusto for one or more employee(s), you can add your tax account information:
If your business has employees who live in Texarkana, Arkansas, or who live in Texarkana, Texas and work in Texarkana, Arkansas, they qualify for an exemption from Arkansas withholding tax.
If either of these scenarios applies to your business:
To let the agency know about an employee exemption, email [email protected] the following information:
If you've already registered in the state, you'll need to enter your tax account details in Gusto in order to pay employees.
You'll need to be registered with one or more of the below agencies in order for Gusto to file and pay taxes on your behalf:
If you still need to register, click the Register a company with the state dropdown above in this article.
If you've run payroll in Arkansas previously, you can find your Withholding Account ID (also called a DFA Account ID) and filing frequency by:
Some agencies require special authorization for Gusto to pay or file your taxes. To ensure successful authorization, verify that you've added the ‘Withholding’ tax type to your account. You'll also need to make sure the following information entered in your Gusto account matches what's on file with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration:
If Gusto is having trouble gaining access to your account, verify that the above information matches exactly what the agency has on file by calling them at (501) 683-2827 or (877) 280-2827.
You can find your DWS ID for unemployment tax on Rate Notices of the Quarterly Contribution and Wage Report (Form DWS-ARK-209B) received from the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services.
Unemployment tax rate (experience rate)
The AR Experience Rate appears on the Rate Notice that you receive from the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services each year, and typically takes effect on January 1.
If you're not liable for unemployment insurance yet, we suggest you enter the Arkansas specific "New Employer SUI tax rate" found in this article in Gusto for the meantime. Once you receive your companys-assigned rate, update the rate in Gusto as soon as possible.
If your business has employees who live in Texarkana, Arkansas, or who live in Texarkana, Texas and work in Texarkana, Arkansas, they qualify for an exemption from Arkansas withholding tax.
If either of these scenarios applies to your business:
To let the agency know about an employee exemption, email [email protected] the following information:
Once a valid Arkansas work address has been added in Gusto for one or more employee(s), you can add your tax account information:
Where to find the forms available in your account
Head to the Taxes & compliance section and select Tax documents. Use the tabs on the page to toggle between federal, state, W-2, and 1099 forms.
Asterisks info—only if applicable