Georgia registration and tax info

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How to pay employees in a new state: get registered

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.

Let us register for you

Gusto works with Middesk to help you register your business in new states.

For now, this includes: Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

How it works—an overview

What you need to do

Add a new work address in Gusto for a different state, and;
Hire an employee and assign them to that address.

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

You give us some basic business information.
Middesk will check your info.
Your registration is usually submitted within two business days.
- State registration with Middesk includes:
  - State income tax (withholding)
  - State unemployment insurance
- What's not included:
  - Local agency registration
  - Third-party authorization (TPA) set up
When Middesk gets your tax account information back after registering, they'll enter it in Gusto for you.
- We still recommend watching for mail with your tax account numbers and rates from the state (in case they get sent directly to you). If you get your tax info directly, Middesk can show you how to enter it in Gusto yourself.

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.

Get started with state tax registration in Gusto

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].

Sign in to Gusto.
Go to Taxes & Compliance and select Tax setup.
Under “[State name] Tax Setup”, find the "Let us help you register" banner and click Learn more.
- The state will only show up if you’ve added a company work address there and assigned an employee to it.
Review the price, process, and how long it'll take. We will not charge you until you send in your order.
- State registration with Middesk includes:
  - State income tax (withholding)
  - State unemployment insuranc
- What's not included:
  - Local agency registration
  - Third-party authorization (TPA) set up
Click Get started on Middesk.
- Reminder: We can only register for you if you do not already have a state account.
Answer some questions about your business, like:
- Basic info
- Contact info
- Company details
- Address details
- Officer/owner info
- State-specific details
After you've entered the information, review all the info carefully on the “Review Information” page. Mistakes can delay things.
- Heads up: State agencies might add fees or take longer than expected. Middesk will notify you if that happens.
If everything looks good, click Continue to Gusto.
Before you submit the order, review the cost breakdown and total amount again.
- Middesk will start to process your order after you submit it. They'll email you with order updates, and we'll add the cost to your next monthly bill.
- At this time, we cannot support order cancellations or refunds.
Click Submit.

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.

Some reminders

You may need to give Gusto third-party access (TPA) to your tax accounts. Middesk does not do this for you.

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.

Watch your mail for registration info. The state sometimes sends you your tax account numbers and rates.

Middesk can help you enter any tax info into Gusto if you get the details and they do not.

Check the status of your order

When your order is complete, you’ll get emails from Gusto and Middesk. They’ll detail the next steps, which include:

Reviewing registration details
Any other state-specific instructions

Before your order is done, you can check the order status in your Gusto account:

Sign in to Gusto.
Go to Taxes & Compliance select Tax setup.
Find the state headline, and just below it, view the order status. It could be:
- Tax registration in progress (not yet submitted to state)
- We need more information
- The state is working on your order
- You have existing tax accounts
  - If we find you've already registered for taxes in the state, Middesk will cancel and refund the registration order. Work with the agency to find your tax account details and enter them in Gusto.
- Your registration has been completed
- Your order is on hold
- We could not complete your tax registration.
If there is action required, check your email for next steps.

FAQs

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

We cannot submit tax payments or filings until all tax account numbers are added in Gusto.
If you run payroll before finishing registration, you might get notices about late tax payments or filings. Any penalties are your responsibility.
If you’re only registering for unemployment tax and do not have your rate yet, use the new employer rate for your state in Gusto until you get the correct one. Update the rate once you get it.

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:

Use today’s date as the first date the employee(s) in the new state will be paid.
Enter the start date of the quarter you expect to meet the liability threshold.
- Check the state’s liability info in the Register on your own section (go to the SUI dropdown). If there’s no info, contact the state agency directly.

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:

In Gusto: Click the Taxes & compliance section and select Tax setup, then scroll to state tax setup.
In your state’s online portal: Find your account details there.
- You may need to create accounts on your own, but Middesk does this when it's required to register. Go to the Post Submission Questions in the Middesk help article to see which agencies they'll create credentials for.
By mail: Some agencies send tax info by mail. If that happens, Middesk will let you know, and you'll need to enter this info in Gusto.

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: When

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.

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—after you register, learn how to give Gusto the authorization we'll need to file and pay certain taxes for you.

Georgia tax agencies

Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) – income tax withholding
Georgia Department of Labor (DOL) – unemployment tax

Withholding account registration—income tax

After you register, you should receive your account number and tax deposit schedule instantly.

Register with the Georgia Department of Revenue online.
Scroll to the “Registration” headline, and select Register a New Georgia Business to complete the registration process.
Give Gusto the authorization we'll need to file and pay this tax for you.

Enter the tax account information in Gusto

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

Click the Taxes & compliance section and select Tax setup.
Scroll to the “Georgia Tax Setup” headline and select Manage taxes.
Enter your withholding number and tax deposit schedule.
- The withholding number looks like "XXXXXXX-XX"—the last two characters of the number will be upper case letters.
- Gusto supports the following tax deposit schedules: Semi-weekly payer, monthly payer, or quarterly payer.
  - If you were assigned an annual deposit schedule, Gusto does not support it—you'll need to update your schedule with the agency to match what's used in Gusto. To update your deposit schedule to a semi-weekly payer, monthly payer, or quarterly payer:
    - Log into GTC.
    - Under “Accounts”, click on Withholding Tax.
    - Under “I want to,” click See more links for my account.
    - Click on Change Filing Frequency and select Semi-Weekly, Monthly or Quarterly, then Next.
    - Follow the remaining prompts.
- 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.

State unemployment insurance (SUI) tax registration

Most companies become liable for state unemployment insurance tax once the company has:

Paid $1500 in wages during a calendar quarter or;
Had at least one Georgia-employee working for any part of the week, for 20 or more different weeks during a calendar year.

If you're not yet liable, or don't have your assigned rate yet, enter the new employer rate for Georgia in Gusto in the meantime—update the rate once you receive it.

Register for unemployment tax with the Department of Labor (DOL)

Most companies* need to register online with the Department of Labor. You should receive your account number instantly after registering online—it'll be formatted as “XXXXXX-XX.”

Important: If you're asked to provide “Service provider info”, skip the section and do not enter Gusto's details—agency communication should be sent directly to your company and not Gusto.

*Nonprofit organizations, and those going through changes in ownership, must instead complete Form DOL-1N and mail it to the agency at the address below. You should receive your account number about one month after mailing the form.

Georgia Department of Labor, Suite 850
148 Andrew Young International Blvd.
Atlanta, GA 30303-1751.

Enter the tax account information in Gusto—use the “total tax rate”

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

Click the Taxes & compliance section and select Tax setup.
Scroll to the “Georgia Tax Setup” headline and select Manage taxes.
Enter your unemployment account number and unemployment “total tax rate.”
- The account number will be formatted as: “XXXXXX-XX.”
  - You can find your account number (and tax rates) in the GDOL Employer Portal—sign in, and under your business's name, click DOL account number.
    - If you do not have a DOL account set up, use this agency guide to get started.
  - 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.
- The “total tax rate” should be entered in Gusto—this can be found in your GDOL Employer Portal.
  - If you need to update your rate, learn how here.
  - Tax rates for the new calendar year will appear by the first business day of the new year.
  - If you don't have your assigned rate yet, enter the new employer rate for your state in Gusto in the meantime—update the rate once you receive it.

Find account numbers and rate info (if you're already registered)

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:

Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) – income tax withholding
Georgia Department of Labor (DOL) – unemployment tax

If you still need to register, click the applicable dropdown above in this article.

Find your withholding tax account number and tax deposit schedule

Find your withholding tax account number

If you've run payroll in GA before, you can find your withholding account number by:

Reviewing any notice that you've received from the Department of Revenue (DOR) or;
Find it on the agency's website.

You'll receive a withholding number that looks like "XXXXXXX-XX."

Do not enter your non-resident withholding number, as it's a separate type of withholding tax.
The last two characters of your withholding number must be upper case letters.

Make sure to give Gusto the authorization we'll need to file and pay this tax for you.

Find your current tax deposit schedule

To find your current tax deposit schedule, sign in to the Georgia Tax Center.

Gusto supports the following tax deposit schedules: Semi-weekly payer, monthly payer, or quarterly payer.

If you were assigned an annual deposit schedule, Gusto does not support it—you'll need to update your schedule with the agency to match what's used in Gusto. To update your deposit schedule to a semi-weekly payer, monthly payer, or quarterly payer:
- Log into GTC.
- Under “Accounts”, click on Withholding Tax.
- Under “I want to,” click See more links for my account.
- Click on Change Filing Frequency and select Semi-Weekly, Monthly or Quarterly, then Next.
- Follow the remaining prompts.

If you have any trouble finding the information, call the agency at (877) 423-6711 to confirm your withholding number and tax deposit schedule.

Find your unemployment account number and rate

Unemployment account number

Businesses that have run payroll in the past can find their Department of Labor (DOL) Account Number by:

Reviewing notices received from the DOL, or;
Calling the agency at (404) 232-3300, or;
Signing in to the DOL Employer Portal—sign in, and under your business's name, click DOL account number.
- If you do not have a DOL account set up, use this agency guide to get started.

Your account number will be formatted as “XXXXXX-XX.”

Unemployment tax rate—use the “total tax rate”

You can find your unemployment tax rate in the GDOL Employer Portal—sign in, and under your business's name, click DOL account number.

If you do not have a DOL account set up, use this agency guide to get started.
Tax rates for the new calendar year will appear by the first business day of the new year.

Enter the “total tax rate” in Gusto—if you do not know your total tax rate, call the agency at (404) 232-3300 to confirm it.

If you do not have your assigned rate yet, enter the new employer rate for Georgia in Gusto in the meantime—update the rate once you receive it.

Enter the tax account information in Gusto

Once a valid Georgia work address has been added in Gusto for one or more employees, you can add your tax account information:

Click the Taxes & compliance section and select Tax setup.
Scroll to the “Georgia Tax Setup” headline and select Manage taxes.
Enter your withholding number and tax deposit schedule.
- The withholding number looks like “XXXXXXX-XX”—the last two characters of the number will be upper case letters.
- Gusto supports the following tax deposit schedules: Semi-weekly payer, monthly payer, or quarterly payer.
  - If you were assigned an annual deposit schedule, Gusto does not support it—you'll need to update your schedule with the agency to match what's used in Gusto. To update your deposit schedule to a semi-weekly payer, monthly payer, or quarterly payer:
    - Log into GTC.
    - Under “Accounts”, click on Withholding Tax.
    - Under “I want to,” click See more links for my account.
    - Click on Change Filing Frequency and select Semi-Weekly, Monthly or Quarterly, then Next.
    - Follow the remaining prompts.
Enter your unemployment account number and unemployment “total tax rate.”
- The account number will be formatted as: “XXXXXX-XX.”
  - You can find your account number (and tax rates) in the GDOL Employer Portal—sign in, and under your business's name, click DOL account number.
    - If you do not have a DOL account set up, use this agency guide to get started.
  - 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.
- The “total tax rate” should be entered in Gusto—this can be found in your DOL. Tax rates for the new calendar year will appear by the first business day of the new year.
  - If you need to update your rate, learn how here.
  - If you don't have your assigned rate yet, enter the new employer rate for Georgia in Gusto in the meantime—update the rate once you receive it.

How to authorize Gusto with Georgia agencies

Third-party authorization (TPA) is needed for the agency below.

Authorizing Gusto with the GA Department of Revenue (DOR)—withholding tax

The Georgia DOR requires special authorization for Gusto to pay or file your withholding income taxes. To make sure Gusto can get the authorization we need, follow the steps below.

Step one: Verify the 'Withholding tax' type is on your Georgia Tax Center account

Sign in to the Georgia Tax Center.
Click your business name.
Under the “Accounts” tab, make sure Withholding Tax is listed.

If “Withholding Tax” is not listed:

Under the “I Want To” section of your Georgia Tax Center, click See more links…
Click Register New Tax Account.
Follow the remaining agency prompts—after review and approval, you'll get an email with your account number and information.

Step two: Verify all information in Gusto matches what the agency has on file

The information that must match is your:

Withholding account number
Zip code
Last amount paid to the Department of Revenue

You can review and compare the information from your Georgia Tax Center, or call the agency at (877) 423-6711 to confirm your details.

Claim Georgia tax credits in Gusto

If you filed for the Georgia Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit or other Georgia tax credits and you'd like to claim it in Gusto, contact our team from the Support section of your account.

Requirements

Email us with an approval letter from the Georgia Department of Revenue—it should approve your calculation of the tax credit and confirm that the credit can be applied to withholding taxes. The following credit-types can be applied to withholding taxes:
- Clean Energy Property Tax Credit
- Job Tax Credit
- Tax Credit for Qualified Research Expenses (Form IT-RD)
- Headquarters Job Tax Credit
- Quality Jobs Tax Credit
- Film Tax Credit
- Postproduction Film Tax Credit
- Musical Tax Credit***
Important: You must authorize Gusto to claim the Georgia Tax Credit on your behalf—we'll make a request for access to your DOR account, and if we run into issues getting the access we need, we'll let you know.

How the credits are applied and where to find the credit-balance

Once we've entered the credit in our system, your Georgia withholding tax will be reduced on payrolls until the credit is used. You can track the credits that have been applied, and how much credit is still available, by heading to the Reports section of your account and running a “Tax credits” report.

Learn more

Georgia credits: Check out this resource for business credits.
Georgia R&D Tax Credit: Check out this resource from the state.

Forms we file in Georgia

Quarterly Return for Monthly Payers (G-7 Monthly)
Quarterly Return for Quarterly Payers (G-7 Quarterly)
Quarterly Return for Semi-Weekly Payers (G-7 S/Sch B)
Annual Return for Annual Payers (G-7 A)
Withholding Payment Voucher (GA-V)*
Income Statement Transmittal (G-1003)
Wage and Tax Statement (State W2)
GA New Hire Report
Employer's Quarterly Tax and Wage Report (DOL-4 Part I & II or called DOL-4N)

Note: We do not support the annual G-7 Non-resident withholding (NRW) or G-2A forms.

How to find forms in your account

Sign in to Gusto.
Click the Taxes & Compliance section.
Click Tax documents.
Use the tabs on the page to toggle between federal, state, W-2, and 1099 forms.

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.

Agency websites and contact info

Georgia Department of Revenue (877) 423-6711, option 3
Georgia Department of Labor (855) 436-7365

Need to close or reopen a tax account? Go to our article on closing and reopening a state or local tax account.