How to apply for unemployment tax number with Washington ESD?

You need to register for an unemployment insurance account within 30 days of becoming liable for UI taxes in Washington. This usually happens when you hire your first employee. Go to the Washington ESD business portal and look for the 'Register Your Business' section. You'll need your state business license number and federal EIN.

i think you can do it online now but the washington esd website is terrible. took me forever to figure out where to submit everything last year when i started my landscaping business

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone about your specific business situation.

Make sure you understand the difference between state unemployment insurance and federal unemployment tax (FUTA). Washington ESD handles the state portion. You'll also need to register with the IRS for FUTA separately. The state UI rate for new employers in Washington is currently 2.7% on the first $68,500 of each employee's wages.

WAIT why is this so complicated??? I thought starting a business would be easier than this. How am I supposed to know about all these different tax requirements? This is exactly why small businesses fail - too much bureaucracy!!

also make sure you keep track of your payroll records from day one. washington esd will want detailed records if they ever audit you. learned that the hard way

Just went through this process myself last month. The online registration took about 20 minutes once I had all my paperwork together. You'll need your business license, EIN, and some basic info about your business activities. They email you the account number within a few days.

One thing to be aware of - if you don't register within the required timeframe you might face penalties. Washington ESD doesn't mess around with late registrations.

Also remember that once you're registered, you'll need to file quarterly reports even if you don't owe any taxes. Zero reports are still required to be filed on time.

If you do run into issues getting through to Washington ESD for clarification, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier has been really helpful. They can connect you with agents who can walk through the registration process step by step.

honestly might be worth talking to an accountant about all this tax stuff. mine helped me set up everything correctly from the start and it saved me headaches later

Make sure you understand what constitutes an 'employee' vs 'independent contractor' for UI purposes. Washington has specific rules about this and it affects whether you need to pay unemployment taxes on someone.

UGH now I'm worried about the contractor thing too. Why can't they just make this simple?? I just want to hire someone to help with my business!

Here's a tip - when you register online, save a copy of your confirmation email and print out your account number. You'll need it for everything going forward and it's easier than trying to look it up later.

Don't forget that Washington is one of the states that also has paid family and medical leave (PFML) through ESD. You might need to register for that too depending on your situation.

Since there are so many different requirements, it might be worth using that Claimyr service to get connected with a Washington ESD specialist who can walk through everything you need to register for. Better to get it all sorted out at once than miss something important.

Been running my business for 5 years now and I still remember how overwhelming all this registration stuff was at first. Once you get through it though, the ongoing compliance isn't too bad. Just stay organized and file everything on time.

bottom line - get registered as soon as you hire your first employee, keep good records, file your reports on time, and don't try to classify employees as contractors unless you're 100% sure they qualify

One final tip - set up calendar reminders for your quarterly filing deadlines. Washington ESD doesn't send reminder notices and late fees add up quickly.

Good luck with your new business! Getting all the tax and compliance stuff set up correctly from the start will save you so much hassle down the road.