How to close employer unemployment account with Washington ESD - need help with process

Thanks! Where do I find that form? I don't see it on the main employer forms page.

It's under the 'Account Management' section in your SecureAccess Washington employer portal. You can also request it by calling the employer services line.

How did you end up getting it done? Did you have to call them?

yeah had to call but spent hours on hold. eventually used claimyr.com to get through to someone at washington esd. they have this service that calls employers too, not just claimants. saved me so much time

I've heard of Claimyr for unemployment claims but didn't know they helped employers too. That's actually pretty smart.

Good point. All 3 employees filed for unemployment when I laid them off last month. Their claims are already approved so hopefully that's not an issue.

You should be fine then. Just make sure your final quarterly report includes all wages paid through your business closure date.

Did you actually file the closure form or just stop filing reports? They keep sending notices until you officially close the account.

I thought stopping the reports would be enough! Now I have to deal with this mess. Ugh.

You need to contact them ASAP. They might be assessing penalties for those missed reports even though your business is closed.

If you never had employees on payroll and never paid into the UI system, you might not have an active employer account to close. Check your SecureAccess Washington portal to see if you have an employer account.

Good call, I'll check that first before worrying about forms.

Oh no, what kind of problems did that cause?

They kept my account active and assessed penalties for not filing quarterly reports. Took months to straighten out and prove I had closed the business.

That's why I always recommend sending closure forms via certified mail if you're not filing online. Creates a paper trail.

That's exactly why I used Claimyr. They have some kind of system that gets you connected faster. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

That actually sounds really useful. I hate being on hold forever.

Just tried calling Washington ESD and after 45 minutes on hold the call dropped. This is ridiculous.

Thanks for the reminder! I probably would have forgotten about that.

Yeah, learned that the hard way. Kept paying premiums for months after closing because I forgot to notify L&I.

Yes, all UI taxes need to be paid in full. They won't process a closure request if you have outstanding balances.

makes sense, just wanted to make sure before I submit everything

How long did it take from when you submitted the closure form to when it was actually closed?

About 6-8 weeks. They sent me a confirmation letter when it was officially closed. Keep that letter - you might need it for your business records.

Definitely don't just stop filing! That will cause way more problems down the road.

Yeah I can see that now from reading everyone's experiences. Going to get that form filed properly.

No fee for the closure itself, but you need to be current on all taxes and penalty payments if you have any.

Good to know, thanks!

That's what I used to do too, but even early morning calls were taking forever lately. That's why I ended up trying Claimyr - worked way better than the timing tricks.

Might have to look into that if I need to call them again for anything.

Great advice! I'll make sure to do that before I submit the closure form.

Yeah, better safe than sorry. You never know when you might need those records for tax purposes or something.

No, closing an employer account for one business doesn't prevent you from opening a new employer account for a future business. They're separate accounts tied to different tax ID numbers.

ok cool that's what I was hoping to hear

Totally agree. Their employer section is way less user-friendly than the claimant side.

At least this thread has good info all in one place now!

Awesome, glad it worked out! I'm going to start gathering my paperwork this week.

Good luck! Just make sure everything is current before you submit and you should be fine.

That's a perfect summary! You've got all the key steps covered. One thing I'd add - when you file that EMS-8050 form, take a screenshot or save a copy of the confirmation page if you submit it online. That way you have proof of submission in case there are any issues later. Good luck with your closure process!

That's exactly right Sophie! Just went through this myself a few months ago and that checklist would have saved me so much time. One more tip - if you run into any issues getting through to ESD on the phone (which seems pretty common based on this thread), don't hesitate to use that Claimyr service Roger mentioned. I was skeptical at first but it really does work better than sitting on hold forever. The whole process took about 6 weeks from submission to getting my official closure confirmation letter.