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 on your own or Find account numbers and rate info—the company is already registered with the state to learn more about:
Employee and employer withholding allowance requirements
Check out our payroll blocked troubleshooting tips article.
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.
After you register with the Department of Revenue online, we'll need the following information entered in Gusto:
You should receive your Account ID instantly after registering online, but you may need to wait a few days for a notice in the mail to confirm your company's filing frequency (Account ID will also be included). The notices are typically “coupon booklets” from the agency, and they come with your Account ID and tax deposit schedule frequency pre-printed.
Based on the booklets you receive, you can determine your tax deposit schedule:
Enter the tax account information in Gusto
Once a valid North Carolina work address has been added in Gusto for one or more employee(s), you can add your tax account information:
Your company becomes liable for NC unemployment insurance tax once the company has:
If you need to run payroll and do not yet meet the above requirements, Gusto allows it—we suggest you add the "New employer SUI tax rate" specific to North Carolina in the meantime.
You'll want to register with the NC Employment Security Commission as soon as you become liable—eventually, Gusto will need:
Once registered, you'll receive your account number and tax rate in 4–6 weeks. Keep this time frame in mind when planning your first payroll for this state.
Enter the tax account information in Gusto
Once a valid North Carolina work address has been added in Gusto for one or more employee(s), you can add your tax account 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 on your own dropdown above in this article.
If you've run payroll in North Carolina in the past, you can find your withholding tax account number and tax deposit schedule by:
If you've run payroll in North Carolina in the past, you can find your Employment Security Account Number and SUI rate on:
If you're not yet liable for unemployment tax, we suggest you add the "New employer SUI tax rate" specific to North Carolina in the meantime. You can find the new employer rates for each state in this article, along with instructions on how to update the rate once you become liable and receive your company-specific agency assigned rate.
Once a valid North Carolina address has been added in Gusto for one or more employee(s), you can add your tax account information:
North Carolina has three withholding certificates, a full version called the NC-4, a shorter version called the NC-EZ, and a NC-NRA for non-resident alien employees. Employees can fill out the "North Carolina Taxes" section of their account once the appropriate form and allowances have been determined.
The major differences between the NC-4 and NC-EZ are:
If an employee chooses “Do not Withhold”* or elects for more than 10 allowances, review the File the NC withholding certificate dropdown below for additional requirements. Gusto will notify you via a sticky on your admin Home page if an employee falls into one of these scenarios.
Learn how to find a copy of your employee’s W-4s here.
Employers are required to send the NC-4, NC-EZ, or NC-NRA to the North Carolina Department of Revenue when:
Gusto will notify you via a Sticky on your admin Home page if an employee falls into one of these scenarios. If notified, you'll need to send the NC-4/NC-4EZ/NC-NRA form to:
North Carolina Department of Revenue
Tax-Compliance-Withholding Tax
PO Box 25000
Raleigh, NC 27640-0001
The due dates for filing these certificates are based on your withholding tax deposit/filing schedule:
You are always free to submit the certificate(s) earlier than the due date.
Review the NC withholding certificate forms to learn more about how to help your employees determine their filing status and allowances.