If you need to update a teammate's details, rather than company details, use the articles below:
Change or correct your legal company name If you've changed your legal business name, or need to correct it, follow the steps below:
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Submit your name change to the IRS and relevant state agencies (if you haven't already).
- Confirm with the IRS if this also requires a new Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN).
- If you're receiving a new FEIN, find the next steps for updating your FEIN with Gusto here.
- If you're using the same FEIN, message us from the
in your account and send the required* supporting documentation from the IRS and state agencies showing this company name change. - *IRS proof is required (e.g., a copy of CP-575 or Letter 147C) before we can update your account—you cannot submit only state agency documentation.
Once we receive your request, and the related IRS and state documentation, we'll update the company name in your Gusto account.
Troubleshooting company name issues
If we reach out about an error with the name you're using in Gusto, it's likely because we're using your DBA (doing business as) name instead of the official name that's on record with the IRS. To fix the issue:
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Message us from the
in your account and attach the correspondence from the IRS showing your current official company name. - If you want to use a DBA in addition to your official name, just include both your official name and your DBA in the email.
- We'll review and update the company name (and DBA, if applicable) in your Gusto account.
Change your FEIN (federal employer identification number) A change to your FEIN can have serious tax implications. We'll work with you to help keep your tax reporting accurate, but it can sometimes take several weeks to fully account for a change to your FEIN.
Changing your Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) has significant tax implications and can take several weeks to fully process and reflect accurately in your tax reporting. To keep tax filings accurate under both your old and new FEINs, you'll need to create two separate Gusto accounts—one for each FEIN. Follow the steps below to set up your new company profile with the new FEIN.
Click the dropdown below that best represents your issue to find next steps.
Change in ownership or structure If you've changed your business type, or experienced a change in ownership or structure with your business:
- First, check with the IRS to see if this requires a change to your company's Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN).
- Typically, a change in your business name alone does not require a new FEIN—see the “Change your company name” dropdown above for more information.
- Reach out to your state and local agencies about the company change to see if you need new state or local tax account numbers.
FEIN was changed A change to your FEIN can have serious tax implications. We'll work with you to help keep your tax reporting accurate, but it can sometimes take several weeks to fully account for a change to your FEIN.
To make sure you have accurate tax filings associated with your old FEIN, and new FEIN, two separate Gusto accounts are needed. Follow the steps below to set up the new company profile with the new FEIN.
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Create a new Gusto account.
- In your new Gusto account, enter any new company info:
- Legal entity name
- The new FEIN
- State tax IDs and corresponding deposit schedules and rates—you may need new state or local account numbers too, contact the agencies to confirm.
- Company address
- Bank account
- We can help migrate employee information over to your new account, as long as your employees have not changed work locations. Go to the
in your account and send a message (email). - Be prepared to provide additional details about the "FEIN change", like:
- IRS proof/documentation of the FEIN change
- Confirming the old and new company names listed in Gusto
- The date the FEIN change became effective
- Which employees you do not want migrated (if any)
- If you have Gusto-managed benefits: Moving Gusto-managed benefits to a new FEIN requires approval from all insurance carriers. We'll coordinate with the carriers on your behalf. If any carrier denies the transfer, your company can always find benefit plans for the new FEIN.
- We'll put you in contact with our Benefits team to walk you through any next steps.
- Be prepared to provide additional details about the change, like:
- IRS proof/documentation of the FEIN change
- Owner information
- Any changes to the company (e.g., being acquired, change in organization type, change in nature of the business, etc).
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Do not cancel the Gusto account with the old FEIN yet. Here's why:
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Pending tax payments need to be settled.
- We'll help you cancel your old account when it's time.
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W-2 selections need to be made for the account you're closing.
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If you need W-2s generated, you'll need to select that Gusto process your quarterly and yearly filings (for the year you closed your old FEIN).
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We'll use the payroll amounts processed under the old FEIN to file current quarter returns and year-end forms. We'll also file any remaining quarterly returns for the year with $0 amounts.
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Only after Gusto's given the go-ahead, cancel the old company profile (with the old FEIN).
- This stops $0 returns from being filed in future years.
Reminder for customers with Gusto-managed benefits
All insurance carriers must approve the change to move your company’s benefits to a new FEIN. We’ll contact the carriers for you, and if a carrier denies the request, your company can always find benefit plans for the new FEIN.
FAQs about FEIN changes Q: What will Gusto move to the new account for me?
A: Gusto can transfer basic employee info, payrolls from the same calendar year, and Gusto-managed benefits. Employers need to move other details, including:
- Employee emergency contacts
- Time Off & Sick policies/balances
- Tax exemptions
- Recurring garnishments
- Time Tracking
- Documents
- Employee handbooks (download before canceling the old account)
- Any benefits not managed by Gusto (deductions that are manually set up)
- Integrations (e.g., time tracking or accounting)
- The company needs to reconnect all integrations (except for 401(k) and worker’s comp)
Q: Will Gusto re-file closed quarters under the new FEIN?
A: No, Gusto can only start filing under the new FEIN in the quarter of the first payroll check date. Closed quarters need to be filed outside of Gusto.
Q: Will my 401(k) integration be moved to the new account?
A: Yes, the 401(k) providers can transfer plans to the new account. Remind us about the integration, and we'll work with all parties to get this set up under the new FEIN.
Q: Will my worker’s comp policy (integrated with Gusto) be moved?
A: Yes, a Gusto specialist will connect you with NEXT Insurance to complete the transfer.
Q: Will Gusto-managed benefits transfer to the new FEIN?
A: This depends on the carriers. If any carrier denies the move, the company must set up new plans.
Q: Can Bring Your Own Broker (BYB) benefits be moved?
A: Yes, ask your broker to process the FEIN change with carriers. Once all carriers confirm the update, contact Gusto with that confirmation from your broker, and we can migrate the benefits to the new account.
Q: Can benefits be moved if my company changes states?
A: Carrier policies vary; many do not allow benefit migration for state changes. We'll let you know if migration is possible or if new plans are needed.
Manage company addresses—add, change, or deactivate company locations and view employees working at each address A company location can be any address where your employees work (or live, for employees working from home), your legal filing address, or your legal mailing address. If you've added a new company location, enter it in Gusto.
Important reminders
- If you do not enter employee work locations during onboarding, and only have PO-box locations, we'll eventually ask for a company work location that's not a PO box (for taxation).
- Legal or mailing address changes—be sure to notify the IRS of your legal or mailing address change. You’ll also need to notify the states (where you've previously registered) so they can update your legal or mailing address on file.
- If you’ve never registered with the state agencies where you now have employees working, you’ll need to register your business in the new state.
If you do not let the IRS and state agencies know before making updates in Gusto, it may result in failed payments or filings.
Add a company address - Click the Settings section.
- Under the "Company" section, click Locations.
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Under "All locations", click Add location.
- Enter the new work address—this should be a physical location and not a PO Box or other mailboxes.
- Check the box at the bottom if this is a work location.
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Click Save.
Gusto will file tax returns for the newly added location after you pay an employee at that location—make sure each of your individual employee profiles now reflects the appropriate work address (new or old).
Do not delete old work addresses if employees ever worked there. Gusto will need historical work addresses for taxation purposes.
Change your main company location (filing and mailing address) Important reminders
- Changing the filing and mailing address will temporarily block payroll until your signatory electronically re-signs the necessary company forms. Make sure your signatory is prepared to complete this action promptly to avoid payroll delays.
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Before you can change the main company location, you need to add the new company address first (use the steps in the Add a company address dropdown). Then, follow the steps below.
Change the main company location
Only the Primary admin can make this change. You need to have more than one location added before you can switch the main address.
- Click the Settings section.
- Under the "Company" section, click Locations.
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Next to "Mailing and filing address", click Switch.
- If you do not see this, add the new location first, then the option to switch will appear.
- Choose the company address you're changing it to, and click Save.
As a reminder, already-submitted filings typically do not need to be re-submitted if the filing address is the only information that was updated.
Change (edit) or deactivate a company address - Click the Settings section.
- Under the "Company" section, click Locations.
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Under "All locations", find the address, and click the three-dot menu under the “Actions” column.
- Click Edit company location. A few reminders:
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For addresses that can be edited, and need to be deactivated, scroll to the bottom of the popup box and click the Deactivate this location link.
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If you still have employees actively working at an address, you will not be able to edit the address.
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To deactivate this location, create a new company location, then move your employees' work address to that location.
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If the employee used to work at that address, the address cannot be edited.
- If the location is permanently closed, scroll to the bottom of the popup box and click the Deactivate this location link.
- If an address is only applicable to dismissed employees, message us from the
in your account so we can help with deactivating the address.
- Click Save.
View or move employees working at a company location Updating your employees’ addresses may have tax implications and result in follow-up action items. Check the notifications on your payroll dashboard for a list of things to complete once you've made a change.
- Click the Settings section.
- Under the "Company" section, click Locations.
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Under "All locations", find the address, and click the three-dot menu under the “Actions” column.
- Click See employees.
- Review the current employees at this location, and if you need to move some, click Move employees here.
- Choose a start date at the new address.
- This date can only be now or in the future, not in the past.
- If you need to make retroactive address updates, do so individually in each team member's profile.
- The “start date” will be applied to all employees in the bulk operation.
- Select employees to move.
- Click Move employees.
Change the company signatory The company signatory is responsible for electronically signing all government forms Gusto creates and is generally a member of the partnership/business.
Each time a signatory is added or updated in Gusto, we’ll have to file a new Form 8655 with the IRS—your signatory must be authorized by the IRS to give Gusto the “Reporting Agent Authorization” we need to file and pay your taxes.
Important reminders
- Changing the signatory will block payroll until your new signatory has re-signed company forms—make sure they're ready to sign them before making the change.
- If your signatory is changing, you should notify the IRS by completing Form 8822-b.
- The company signatory and person who signs benefits-related forms (benefit-signatory) are different, or can be.
- If you need to change your benefits signatory, contact us from the
in your account and we'll start the process.
Authorized signers by entity type:
- Sole proprietorships.
- The individual owning the business.
- Corporation—including a limited liability company (LLC) treated as a corporation.
- An officer having legal authority to bind the corporation,
- Any person designated by the board of directors or other governing body,
- Any officer or employee on written request by any principal officer, and
- Any other person authorized to access information under section 6103(e).
- Partnership (including an LLC treated as a partnership) or an unincorporated organization.
- A member of the partnership.
- Single member LLC treated as a disregarded entity.
Step 1. Delete the current signatory
You must be the primary administrator to complete the steps below:
- Click the Settings section.
- Below the "Company" header on the left, click Details.
- Next to Company Signatory, click edit.
- Scroll to the bottom of the pop-up, and click Delete this signatory.
Step 2. Assign a new signatory
Once this signatory is deleted, add the new signatory.
- Click the Settings section.
- Below the "Company" header on the left, click Details.
- Next to Company Signatory, click Assign a signatory.
- Select if you're the signatory.
- If you are the new signatory, enter your information.
- If you are not the new signatory, enter their email address so that we can send them a notification to fill out their information.
Once the new signatory is added, they'll be prompted to electronically sign a few forms by clicking the Documents section.
Change a state or local payroll tax account number If your state or local tax account numbers were changed or updated, check with the IRS to determine if your FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number) also needs an update. If you’re issued a new FEIN, here’s how to handle FEIN changes with Gusto.
Update a state or local tax account number (if your FEIN has not changed)
Carefully review any information you’re updating, and all supporting agency documentation (e.g., notices, online portal screenshots, etc)—entering incorrect information can result in notices, penalties, and extra cost and time to correct historical payments and returns.
When one thing changes, others may too—you should check to see if any other important tax details are changing (e.g., state unemployment insurance tax rate changes, or deposit schedule changes for withholding taxes).
- Click the Taxes & compliance section and select Tax setup.
- Scroll to the applicable “[State] Tax Setup” headline.
- Click Manage taxes.
- Click Edit next to the account number you need to update.
- Update the number, and click Save—this new account number will be used on all payments and filings that are created after the update was made.
- If you change your account number in January, April, July, or October (the months that quarterly filings are generated and due), message us from the
in your account. There’s a chance that the upcoming payments or filings will be sent with your old account number—if this happens, there could be tax implications.
If we’ve already made payments and filings to an incorrect account number, you’ll need to fix this with the tax agencies directly (outside of Gusto). Learn how to find your historical tax payments and tax returns in Gusto below.
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Heads up: Correcting payments or filings sent to the wrong account number can be tricky—we recommend working with a tax advisor for help, or using our partner directory to find one.
Find historical tax payments made to the incorrect account number
- Head to the Reports section of your account.
- Find and select the “Agency payments” report.
- In the “Sort by” field, select Date (newest) to see the most recent deposits made.
- Choose the report format, and click Generate report.
- The report will not show the account number each payment was paid to, but all payments listed will have been made to the account number Gusto had on file on the date listed in the report.
- For the agency where a new account number was issued, confirm the “effective date” of the new number and identify all past payments that were made to the incorrect account number (based on the new number’s effective date).
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Contact the agency and ask that they transfer the identified payments to the correct account number.
Correcting payments or filings sent to the wrong account number can be tricky—we recommend working with a tax advisor for help, or using our partner directory to find one.
Find historical tax returns filed with the incorrect account number
- Head to the Taxes & compliance section and click Tax documents.
- Toggle to the State tab.
- To find historical tax returns made to the incorrect (old) number, click the column headers to filter by:
- Find all filings that have been “Sent” (according to the “Status” column) using the incorrect account number—this should be based on the new number’s effective date.
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Contact the agency and ask that they transfer the identified tax returns to the correct account number.
Correcting payments or filings sent to the wrong account number can be tricky—we recommend working with a tax advisor for help, or using our partner directory to find one.
Change your state unemployment insurance (SUI) tax rate State agencies send out notices with your assigned state unemployment insurance tax rates—you'll get one when you first
register your company as an employer with the unemployment agency in the state.
You’ll also receive a new tax rate notice with each new year that includes your rate for the upcoming year. Depending on the state, these are often mailed out between November of the prior year through March of the effective year.
Add a new SUI rate
If you get a new rate assigned to you for the current or future periods, update your SUI rate in your company profile by following these steps:
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Click the Taxes & Compliance section and select Tax setup.
- Click Manage Taxes under the applicable State Tax section.
- Scroll to "State Tax Settings" and click edit next to "Unemployment Tax Rate"—this may also have other names like "SUI rate" or "Experience rate" based on the state.
- Updating your rate only works in states where you currently have active employees.
- Here you can also view the past rates you've had in your account.
- Click Add a new rate.
- If the rate you're entering was effective during an already closed quarter, and you're adding it after the quarter ended, you'll likely get a notice for taxes owed (if underpaid) or a refund (if overpaid).
- Enter the number shown on the notice as a percentage rate.
- Example: If your notice says you have a rate of .055555, enter 5.5555%.
- For information about how to enter your rate correctly for your specific state, go to the state-specific registration article in the Help Center.
- Click the Register a company with state agencies or Find your account number and rate info dropdowns, scroll to the applicable unemployment section, and enter the rate(s) as detailed.
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Set the "Effective Date" as the effective date listed on your notice.1
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In most states: The effective date will be January 1.
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New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont: There are a few states that change their rates mid-year, and you should enter an effective date of July 1.
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New Hampshire can change their rate effective any quarter, so pay close attention to these rate notices. Enter:
- January 1 if the rate takes effect for the period Jan 1 - Mar 31.
- April 1 if the rate takes effect for the period April 1 - June 30.
- July 1 if the rate takes effect for the period Jul 1 - Sep 30.
- October 1 if the rate takes effect for the period Oct 1 - Dec 31.
- Click Save.
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Important: If the update is being made after the deadline listed on the notice, agencies may assess penalties and/or interest for underpayments. These are the employer's responsibility to pay.
Correct your SUI rate or effective date and review rate history
Some tax agencies provide Gusto with "rate exchanges", and you may receive a notification that we’ve already updated your rate. This is a courtesy that's intended to help you pay the correct taxes each quarter. There may be circumstances when we're unable to confirm your current rate with a tax agency, so your company must still confirm that the correct rates are in your company tax profile.1
If you realize that you previously entered an incorrect rate or effective date, update the information in Gusto as soon as you have the correct information.
- Sign in to Gusto.
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Click the Taxes & Compliance section and select Tax setup.
- Click Manage Taxes under the applicable State Tax section.
- Scroll to "State Tax Settings" and click edit next to SUI Rate.
- Updating your rate only works in states where you currently have active employees.
- Here you can also view the past rates you've had in your account.
- Click Make a correction.
- Before the end of each quarter, Gusto performs a reconciliation payroll to identify any differences between your most current SUI rate and previously used rates. If a discrepancy is found, Gusto will either debit your company for any underpaid SUI tax amounts or issue a refund for over-collected amounts.
- If the rate you're entering was effective during an already closed quarter, and you're changing it after the quarter ended, you'll likely get a notice for taxes owed (if underpaid) or a refund (if overpaid).
- Gusto does not amend unemployment returns for rate updates retroactively made for an already closed quarter—you can simply pay the agency any amount owed (if you've underpaid), or accept the refund (if you've overpaid).
- Enter the number shown on the notice as a percentage rate.
- Example: If your notice says you have a rate of .055555, enter 5.5555%.
- For information about how to enter your rate correctly for your specific state, go to the state-specific registration article in the Help Center.
- Click the Register a company with state agencies or Find your account number and rate info dropdowns, scroll to the applicable unemployment section, and enter the rate(s) as detailed.
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Set the "Effective Date" as the effective date listed on your notice.1
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In most states: The effective date will be January 1.
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New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont: There are a few states that change their rates mid-year, and you should enter an effective date of July 1.
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New Hampshire can change their rate effective any quarter, so pay close attention to these rate notices. Enter:
- January 1 if the rate takes effect for the period Jan 1 - Mar 31.
- April 1 if the rate takes effect for the period April 1 - June 30.
- July 1 if the rate takes effect for the period Jul 1 - Sep 30.
- October 1 if the rate takes effect for the period Oct 1 - Dec 31.
- Click Save.
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Important: If the update is being made after the deadline on the notice, agencies may assess penalties and/or interest for underpayments. These are the employer's responsibility to pay.
- Gusto does not amend unemployment returns for rate updates retroactively made for an already closed quarter—you can simply pay the agency any amount owed (if you've underpaid), or accept the refund (if you've overpaid).
If you need help adding a rate, message us from the
in your account.
1 Failure to timely update or confirm your State Unemployment Insurance rate may result in additional taxes and penalties being imposed on the taxpayer by the taxing authority or agency.