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To pay employees in a new state, where you’ve never operated or paid people, you must register with the state tax agencies there. This lets you pay and file the taxes you and your employees are liable for.
Watch this quick tutorial to learn more.
Registering for taxes may not be the only to-do when starting or running a business in a new state. Go to our blog for complete guides on starting and running a business in each state.
Gusto works with Middesk to help you register your business in new states.
For now, this includes: Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
What you need to do
Cost and timeline
Prices vary by state. During the first few steps in Gusto, you can see the cost, process, and estimated turnaround time.
What the process looks like
Third-Party Agent (TPA) authorization reminder
Some state agencies need Gusto to have TPA access to file and pay your taxes. Usually, Middesk does not set this up, so you’ll have to do it yourself after registration.
Check the state registration articles to see if TPA is needed and how to set it up. If there's no “Authorize Gusto” section, then TPA is not needed right now.
If setting up TPA requires online agency portal access:Prices vary by state. During the first few steps in Gusto, you can see the cost, process, and estimated turnaround time.
If you have questions about answering any of the questions, try Middesk’s Help Center or contact Middesk at [email protected].
When Middesk gets your tax account information back after registering, they'll enter it in Gusto for you.
Each state and agency takes different amounts of time to process a registration. To estimate when your state tax account info will be available, check the Post Submission Questions in Middesk's help article.
Important reminder
When your order is complete, you’ll get emails from Gusto and Middesk. They’ll detail the next steps, which include:
Before your order is done, you can check the order status in your Gusto account:
Q: Can I run payroll before my registration is done?
A: Yes. You may be asked to enter tax rates and tax deposit frequencies, but can use temporary info.
Important reminders
Q: I need to change some of the registration information that was submitted, what do I do?
A: Email Middesk at [email protected].
Q: Can I use Gusto to register in a new state without a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)? What if my business is merging or being acquired?
A: No, you need a FEIN in Gusto to get registration help for state taxes.
If your business is merging or being acquired, Middesk cannot help with registration. You'll need to work with a tax advisor and state agencies directly.
Q: What if I'm not liable for unemployment tax yet?
A: If you want Middesk to start setting up an unemployment account number before you're liable, you can:
Q: Can Middesk help if the responsible party is international without an ITIN or SSN?
A: No. Middesk cannot help in this scenario, you'll need to register on your own.
Q: Why am I unable to enter 0% ownership for the responsible party or add a commercial owner?
A: Some states have a 1% minimum for the responsible party ownership percentage. These states include ID, KS, MN, OH, SC, DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, and RI.
You’ll need to place registration orders directly with Middesk outside of Gusto or register directly with the agency.
Some states require an individual owner to be listed. If you’re a non-profit or unsure, contact Middesk for help at [email protected].
Q: When will my tax account information be available?
A: Each state and agency takes different amounts of time to process a registration. To estimate when your state tax account info will be available, check the Post Submission Questions in Middesk's help article.
Q: Where can I find my tax information?
A: You can find your tax info in several places:
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: Does Middesk help with giving Gusto third-party access (TPA) for tax payments?
A: Some state agencies need Gusto to have TPA access to file and pay your taxes. Usually, Middesk does not set this up, so you’ll have to do it yourself after registration.
Check the state registration articles to see if TPA is needed and how to set it up. If there's no “Authorize Gusto” section, then TPA is not needed right now.
If setting up TPA requires online agency portal access:
Q: Does Middesk help close state tax accounts?
A: No, you'll need to close the tax account yourself.
Q: Can I cancel my Middesk order?
A: At this time, we cannot support order cancellations or refunds.
Click the dropdowns below to learn how to register with state agencies. When you're done, give Gusto third-party authorization (TPA) so we can pay and file your taxes.
After you register for a withholding income tax account, you should instantly get:
Registration for other tax types, like Sales & Use tax, may take longer.
If you have questions, call the DOR at (601) 923-7700.
We recommend giving Gusto third-party authorization (TPA) for the DOR so we can file amended returns (if needed).
After a work address in Mississippi is assigned to one or more employees, you can add your tax account information:
Most companies are required to pay Mississippi unemployment insurance tax once the company has:
Your business type (general, non-profit, etc) can impact when the company is responsible for paying this tax.
You can check if you're liable (and register) with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) online.
If you need to run payroll and do not yet meet the above requirements, Gusto allows it. Enter the "new employer rate" for Mississippi in Gusto for now, and update the rate once you get it.
Register for unemployment tax with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES)
You'll get your Employer Account Number (EAN) and unemployment tax rate instantly after registering online, or in three days if you register by mail.
After a work address in Mississippi is assigned to one or more employees, you can add your tax account information:
If you do not know your account number or tax rate, call the agency at (601) 321-6000.
If you've already registered in the state, you'll need to enter your tax account details in Gusto.
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 applicable dropdown above in this article.
If you've run payroll in Mississippi in the past, you can find your Tax Account ID Number and Withholding Filing Status by:
We recommend giving Gusto third-party authorization (TPA) for the MS DOR so we can file amended returns (if needed).
You can find your MDES Employer Account Number (EAN) by:
If you've run payroll in Mississippi before, you can find your UI Contribution Rate by:
After a work address in Mississippi is assigned to one or more employees, you can add your tax account information:
Third-party authorization is recommended for the MS Department of Revenue (DOR) so that we're able to file amended returns (as needed).
Amendments usually need a different filing method than original returns. This agency needs Gusto to have third-party access to your Mississippi Taxpayer Access Point (TAP) account to submit an amendment for you.
To get TPA access, Gusto needs to validate:
Make sure to add your Mississippi DOR Letter ID to your "Mississippi Tax Setup" information in Gusto:
How to find forms in your account
Asterisk info (if applicable)
If a form has a star (*) next to it, it will not show up in your tax documents in Gusto. These forms are usually payment vouchers or other forms (ex. coupons) filed electronically.
You can check if tax payments were made by running an "Agency Payments" report.