How do I find my unemployment tax rate in Washington state?

Thanks! I found the employer login but I'm having trouble remembering my account number. Is that the same as my UBI number?

Yes, your UBI (Unified Business Identifier) number is what you use to log in. If you can't find it, check your quarterly wage reports - it should be on there.

Ugh tell me about it. I've been trying to reach someone at Washington ESD for weeks about my claim status and can never get through.

Actually, I just discovered this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. They handle the calling for you and connect you when an agent picks up. Saved me hours of frustration. Check out claimyr.com - they even have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

Interesting, never heard of that before. Does it actually work for employer tax rate questions too?

Wait, so if none of my employees have ever filed for unemployment, my rate should go down?

Exactly! If you have low or no claims against your account, your rate should decrease over time. But you need to have been paying into the system for a few years before you qualify for experience rating.

That makes sense. I've only had one employee file a claim in the past 3 years, so hopefully my rate has improved.

Those sound about right. The exact range gets published annually by Washington ESD. It's based on the overall health of the unemployment trust fund.

Yeah the rates definitely fluctuated a lot during COVID when everyone was filing claims. Seems like they're stabilizing now though.

Oh I didn't know there were two different rates! What's the administrative assessment for?

The administrative assessment helps fund the operation of the unemployment system. It's usually a much smaller percentage, like 0.02% or something minimal.

Good point, let me dig through my files. I keep all that stuff but it's not exactly organized...

lol same here. I have a box labeled 'important tax stuff' that's basically a black hole of paperwork

Pro tip: scan those documents and keep digital copies. Makes searching so much easier when you need to find something specific.

Is that handbook current? I feel like government websites never update their resources.

I downloaded it last month and it seemed current. Had all the 2025 rates and rule changes in it.

I do my own payroll but that's a good tip for other business owners reading this.

ADP and Paychex definitely keep track of all this stuff. One less thing to worry about when you outsource payroll.

Good point! The UBI account covers multiple tax types. Make sure you're looking at the right section.

Yeah I learned that the hard way when I first started my business. Thought one rate applied to everything.

Did they charge you for that? Seems too good to be true.

Yeah there's a fee but honestly it was worth it to actually talk to someone who could answer my questions. Better than wasting half my day on hold.

Exactly! Time is money when you're running a business. Sometimes paying for convenience makes sense.

You know what, I think I did get something like that in January but I might have filed it away without really reading it carefully.

Those government letters all look the same! Easy to overlook important info buried in the fine print.

Really? I thought it only changed annually. How often should I be checking this?

I check mine every quarter when I file wage reports, just to stay on top of any changes. Better to know sooner rather than later if costs are going up.

I've been in business for 3 years now, so I should qualify for experience rating. Hopefully that means a lower rate!

Three years should be enough. The experience rating kicks in once you have sufficient wage history to calculate meaningful statistics.

Glad you found it! Lower rates are always good news for business owners.

Congrats! It's such a relief when those business expenses go down instead of up for once.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful suggestions. This community is awesome for business questions like this.

That's really helpful to know! I had no idea you could email them directly for tax rate info. Do you happen to remember what email address you used? I'm always looking for alternatives when the online portals aren't cooperating.