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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.
You'll get your Withholding Account Number within 24 hours if you register online, or 3–4 days if you do it by mail. Keep this in mind when planning your first payroll in Wisconsin.
Important: The company name you use for registration must exactly match the name you entered in Gusto (which should match IRS records). Even small differences in letters or punctuation can cause problems when paying taxes or filing forms.
Find your withholding account number online
If you lose your withholding account number, you can find it by following these steps:
After a work address in Wisconsin is assigned to one or more employees, you can add your tax account information:
Most companies in Wisconsin must start paying unemployment insurance tax once they have:
Your business type (general, non-profit, etc) can impact when the company is responsible for paying this tax. We recommend contacting the agency to confirm when the company will be liable.
Running payroll in Gusto before you're required to pay unemployment tax
If you need to run payroll but do not yet meet the requirements, Gusto lets you enter the new employer rate for Wisconsin temporarily. Update the rate once you get it.
You'll get your unemployment account number and tax rate instantly if you register online, or in 1–2 weeks if you do it by mail.
If you need help registering, or need to verify your tax account info, call the agency at (608) 261-6700.
New employers in construction or with an annual payroll over $500,000 can check this page to learn more about what their rate may be.
After a work address in Wisconsin is assigned to one or more employees, you can add your tax account information:
If you're registered in Wisconsin, you need to enter your tax account details in Gusto so it can file and pay taxes for you.
You'll need to be registered with one or more of the agencies below for Gusto to file and pay taxes for you:
If you still need to register, click the applicable dropdown above in this article.
If you've already run payroll in Wisconsin, you can find your withholding account number by:
Find your withholding account number online
If you cannot find your withholding account number, you can get it online:
You can find your Unemployment Insurance (UI) Account Number by:
If you've run payroll before, your Unemployment Insurance Tax Rate is listed on your most recent tax notice from the DWD. If you do not know your rate, call the agency at (608) 261-6700.
Only enter the "total rate" in Gusto.
If you do not have your rate yet, enter the new employer rate for Wisconsin in Gusto for now. Update the rate once you get it.
After a work address in Wisconsin is assigned to one or more employees, you can add your tax account information:
If you edit a tax account number after payments or filings have already been made, there may be tax implications. Learn how to pull reports in Gusto that can help you correct any historical tax issues related to tax account number updates.
If Gusto needs to file a corrected (amended) tax return for you, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) requires that Gusto have third-party access to your My Tax Account. Amended returns sometimes need a different filing method than original ones.
If we need third-party access (TPA), we’ll start the process by requesting access to your WI Tax Account. You’ll need to finish granting access using one of the two options below:
This form lets Gusto access your Wisconsin My Tax Account and file amendments for you.
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.