Iowa registration and tax info

• Iowa Department of Revenue (DOR) - income tax withholding
• Iowa Workforce Development - unemployment tax

Before you begin the online registration process, make sure you have your Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) available—the FEIN is issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Corporations, Partnerships, Limited Liability Companies, and Associations must also have each business owner’s full name and Social Security Number (SSN) available.

You'll receive your tax account information in about 4-6 weeks—keep this time frame in mind when planning your first Iowa payroll. 

1. Start registration by visiting the Iowa Department of Revenue online.
2. Scroll to the “Registration” tile and click Register for a New Business (Requires Logon).
3. Under "New to GovConnectIowa", click Create a Logon.
4. Select Register a new business.
   • Create a GovConnectIowa logon to begin registering your new business.
5. Click Next.
6. After creating your user account, log in and select Register.
   • Can't register online? Complete the Iowa Business Tax Permit Registration, 78-005. 
     • If you already registered for a permit in the past you only need to apply once, unless your business location has moved to a new county or you are a remote seller now selling in Iowa.

Once registered, you'll receive the below within 4-6 weeks:

• A Withholding Permit Number—this will be a nine-digit number that starts with a 3.
• Tax deposit schedule

Contact the Iowa Department of Revenue at (515) 281-3114 if you have additional questions about registration or want to verify your company-specific information. 

Enter the tax account information in Gusto

Once a valid Iowa work address has been added in Gusto for one or more employee(s), you can add your tax account information:

1. Click the Taxes & compliance section and select Tax setup.
2. Scroll to the "Iowa Tax Setup" headline and select Manage taxes.
3. Enter your Withholding Permit Number and Save—this will be a nine-digit number that starts with a 3.
   • If you're unsure about your account number, contact the agency at (515) 281-3114.
   • If you need to update your account number for any reason: contact us from the Help section of your account—there may be tax implications if taxes have already been paid or filed to an incorrect account number.
4. Enter your tax deposit schedule and Save.
   • If you don't have your tax deposit schedule yet, enter the fastest tax deposit schedule option available in Gusto for the meantime—you can update it later in the same location once you've received your agency-assigned deposit schedule. 

Reminder: The Iowa Business eFile Number (BEN) is no longer required to file—if you're prompted to enter this number in Gusto still, enter 11111111.

1. Read the Iowa Workforce Development New Business Fact Sheet before proceeding with registration. 
2. To check your liability and/or register for a UI account, you'll need to complete the online registration at myIowaUI.
   • If you're not yet liable for a UI account and need to run payroll in Gusto, read below for more information on what do in the meantime.

After registering online, you should receive the below instantly:

• UI account number.
• Unemployment tax rate (contribution rate).

If you're unsure of your account number or rate, you can call the agency at (866) 239-0843. 

Running payroll in Gusto before you're liable for unemployment tax

If you need to run payroll and do not yet meet the UI requirements outlined by the agency in the New Business Fact Sheet, Gusto allows it.

We suggest you add the “New employer SUI tax rate” specific to Iowa in the meantime—you can find the new employer rates for each state in the linked article, along with instructions on how to update the rate once you become liable and receive your company-specific agency assigned rate.

Enter the tax account information in Gusto

Once a valid Iowa work address has been added in Gusto for one or more employee(s), you can add your tax account information:

1. Click the Taxes & compliance section and select Tax setup.
2. Scroll to the "Iowa Tax Setup" headline and select Manage taxes.
3. Enter your Unemployment Account Number.
4. Enter your unemployment (contribution) tax rate.
   • If you're not sure what your rate is, contact the agency at (866) 239-0843.
   • Don't have your rate yet? Check out this article and enter the new employer rate specific to the state in the meantime. Update the rate as soon as you've received your agency-assigned rate.

Power of Attorney, similar to third party authorization (TPA), is required for the below agency so we can make electronic payments on your behalf:

• Iowa Workforce Development (WD)

IA WD authorization—electronic payment authorization (ACH credit enrollment process)

Some agencies require special authorization for Gusto to pay or file your taxes—for the Iowa WD agency, Gusto will request a 17-digit ACH credit number from the agency on your behalf.

For our request to be successful, you'll want to verify that the following information you have entered in Gusto matches exactly what the agency has on file:

• Official company name
• Official company address
• FEIN - Federal Employment Identification Number
• Unemployment Account Number 

If your state employer registration is incomplete, we may also have trouble getting the ACH Credit code needed to make your payments.

• Complete your registration here, or call the agency at (888) 848-7442.
• Once your registration is complete, update any related information in Gusto as needed.

Gusto will then complete your ACH Credit enrollment process. There is no need for you to complete Form 53-0110 (Application for ACH Credit Transfer) if provided by the agency, we complete this process for you.

Resolving tax issues and accountant/partner troubleshooting

If Gusto does not have a signed POA on file, or our previous attempts to gain access to your online account were unsuccessful, you may need to grant us access directly in your MyIowaUI account.

• Heads up: We'll need this access to help research and resolve tax issues on your behalf.

Authorize Gusto to view your Iowa Workforce Department account

1. Sign in to your MyIowaUI account, or register for one if you don't already have one.
2. On the Employer Home page, from the left-menu, click the Assign Agent link.
3. Enter Gusto's Agent ID: R2437716.
4. Click Next.
5. Verify that Gusto's name appears.
6. In the "Account Level Role" box, locate the Submit/Change Wage Detail option, and then select the corresponding Add checkbox.
7. Select the check boxes for all other roles you want Gusto to have access to—we recommend selecting all of the below:
   • System Administrator
   • Maintain Account
   • Manage Payments
   • Submit/Change Wage Detail
   • View Correspondence
   • View Transaction History
8. Click Complete.

Troubleshoot POA/TPA issues related to accountants/partners

If both Gusto and your accountant (or partner) are completing the same third party authorization form, we may inadvertently override each other's access. 

If your accountant or partner selected "All Roles" on their authorization form (Power of Attorney form), this will remove Gusto's access.

Accountants should only select:

• "Maintain Account" and;
• "System Administrator".

These two roles should give them the access they need to support your company without impacting Gusto's access. If you're not sure the type of access you want your accountant or partner to have, you can find a list of what each role means in this Agent FAQ, or you can call the agency at (888) 848-7442 for more information.

If you've run payroll in Iowa previously, you can find your Withholding Permit Number, tax deposit schedule, and Business eFile Number (BEN) by following the steps below.

As a current Iowa tax permit holder, your tax accounts have been migrated to the agency's new system, GovConnectIowa, but you'll be required to set up new logon credentials and enter an access code to access your existing accounts. Note: Your prior eFile & Pay login cannot be used in the new GovConnectIowa system.

You can request access to your accounts by following these steps:

1. Go to GovConnectIowa.
2. Select Create a Logon.
3. Select I am here to request access to existing accounts.
4. Follow the on-screen steps to enter your information.
5. Enter the requested account verification information:
   • Note: You only need to verify one account for each business. After verifying one account, you'll have the option to select access to other associated tax accounts for the business.
     • Account Type
     • Permit Number
     • IDR ID, eFile & Pay BEN, or information from a recently filed tax return
6. Complete your logon set up by following the on-screen steps.

After completing the steps to create your logon and request access to your accounts, an access code and instructions will be mailed to the primary address on file. Letters are typically mailed the following business day. After receiving the code, log back into your GovConnectIowa account and enter the access code. If you have trouble, you can call the agency at (515) 281-3114 or (800) 367-3388.

You'll be given a nine-digit withholding account number that starts with a 3. This number must be entered in Gusto. Learn where to enter the information in Gusto in the Enter the tax account information in Gusto dropdown below.

UI Account Number

You can find your UI Account Number by:

• Reviewing your Notice of UI Contribution Rate; Form 65-5306 or;
• Reviewing your Employer's Contribution and Payroll Report, or;
• Calling the agency at (888) 848-7442. 

Unemployment tax rate (contribution rate)

Your Iowa Contribution Rate appears on the Notice of UI Contribution Rate Form 65-5306 that you receive from Iowa Workforce Development. Rates are updated annually and new rates are sent out the November before a new rate goes into effect, typically effective January 1.

If you're unsure of your rate, call the agency at (888) 848-7442.

Learn where to enter the information in Gusto in the Enter the tax account information in Gusto dropdown below.

Don't have an agency-assigned UI rate yet?

You can add the "New employer SUI tax rate" specific to Iowa in Gusto for the meantime—find the new employer rates for each state in the linked article, along with instructions on how to update the rate once you've received your company-specific rate.

Power of Attorney, similar to third party authorization (TPA), is required for the below agency so we can make electronic payments on your behalf:

• Iowa Workforce Development (WD)

IA WD authorization—electronic payment authorization (ACH credit enrollment process)

Some agencies require special authorization for Gusto to pay or file your taxes—for the Iowa WD agency, Gusto will request a 17-digit ACH credit number from the agency on your behalf.

For our request to be successful, you'll want to verify that the following information you have entered in Gusto matches exactly what the agency has on file:

• Official company name
• Official company address
• FEIN - Federal Employment Identification Number
• Unemployment Account Number 

If your state employer registration is incomplete, we may also have trouble getting the ACH Credit code needed to make your payments.

• Complete your registration here, or call the agency at (888) 848-7442.
• Once your registration is complete, update any related information in Gusto as needed.

Gusto will then complete your ACH Credit enrollment process. There is no need for you to complete Form 53-0110 (Application for ACH Credit Transfer) if provided by the agency, we complete this process for you.

Resolving tax issues and accountant/partner troubleshooting

If Gusto does not have a signed POA on file, or our previous attempts to gain access to your online account were unsuccessful, you may need to grant us access directly in your MyIowaUI account.

• Heads up: We'll need this access to help research and resolve tax issues on your behalf.

Authorize Gusto to view your Iowa Workforce Department account

1. Sign in to your MyIowaUI account, or register for one if you don't already have one.
2. On the Employer Home page, from the left-menu, click the Assign Agent link.
3. Enter Gusto's Agent ID: R2437716.
4. Click Next.
5. Verify that Gusto's name appears.
6. In the "Account Level Role" box, locate the Submit/Change Wage Detail option, and then select the corresponding Add checkbox.
7. Select the check boxes for all other roles you want Gusto to have access to—we recommend selecting all of the below:
   • System Administrator
   • Maintain Account
   • Manage Payments
   • Submit/Change Wage Detail
   • View Correspondence
   • View Transaction History
8. Click Complete.

Troubleshoot POA/TPA issues related to accountants/partners

If both Gusto and your accountant (or partner) are completing the same third party authorization form, we may inadvertently override each other's access. 

If your accountant or partner selected "All Roles" on their authorization form (Power of Attorney form), this will remove Gusto's access.

Accountants should only select:

• "Maintain Account" and;
• "System Administrator".

These two roles should give them the access they need to support your company without impacting Gusto's access. If you're not sure the type of access you want your accountant or partner to have, you can find a list of what each role means in this Agent FAQ, or you can call the agency at (888) 848-7442 for more information.

Once a valid Iowa address has been added in Gusto for one or more employee(s), you can add your tax account information:

1. Click the Taxes & compliance section and select Tax setup.
2. Scroll to the "Iowa Tax Setup" headline and select Manage taxes.
3. Enter the applicable account number(s) and rate(s).