Washington ESD quarterly tax payment - how to pay unemployment taxes correctly?

You need to register for a Washington State business account through the Department of Revenue portal first. Once you have your UBI number, you can access the unemployment tax section through Washington ESD's employer services. The system is definitely not intuitive but it works once you get set up properly.

I struggled with this exact same issue last quarter! The Washington ESD employer portal is honestly terrible. What saved me was using Claimyr to actually get through to someone at Washington ESD who could walk me through the payment process. They have this service at claimyr.com where they help you get connected to the right department. There's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

The quarterly unemployment tax filing process involves calculating wages subject to unemployment tax, applying the current tax rate, and submitting payment with Form 5208. For 2025, the tax rates range from 0.28% to 6.0% depending on your experience rating. You can pay online through the Washington State Department of Revenue's My DOR portal, by phone at 360-902-9800, or by mail with a check.

ugh this system is SO frustrating!! I spent 3 hours trying to figure out how to pay online and kept getting error messages. Finally just wrote a check and mailed it certified mail. Sometimes the old fashioned way is easier than dealing with their broken website.

For anyone else struggling with this - here's the step by step process that actually works: 1) Get your UBI number from Washington State DOR, 2) Register for the My DOR online account, 3) Link your unemployment tax account using your Washington ESD account number from your quarterly notice, 4) Make payment through the combined excise tax return system. The interface is clunky but it does process payments correctly.

Wait I'm confused about something. Do we pay unemployment taxes to Washington ESD directly or through the Department of Revenue? I keep seeing conflicting information about which system to use.

Just want to mention that penalties for late payment are pretty steep - 10% of the tax due plus 1% interest per month. So definitely don't miss your deadline while trying to figure out the online system. If you're cutting it close, pay by phone or mail to be safe.

Has anyone tried the mobile app for payments? I saw something about a Washington DOR mobile option but not sure if it handles unemployment taxes.

Update on the Claimyr thing - I actually used them again this quarter when I had questions about wage reporting requirements. Got connected to a tax specialist at Washington ESD within about 20 minutes instead of spending hours on hold. Totally worth it when you're dealing with deadlines and potential penalties.

Another heads up - make sure you're paying the right quarter! I accidentally paid for Q3 when I meant to pay Q4 and had to call to get it straightened out. The quarter codes on the forms are confusing.

For future reference, you can set up automatic payments through the My DOR portal once you're registered. This eliminates the stress of quarterly deadlines and ensures you never miss a payment. You can also view your payment history and download copies of all your filings.

Just realized I should mention - if you have employees in multiple states, make sure you're only paying Washington unemployment tax on Washington wages. Sounds obvious but easy to mess up if you're not careful with your payroll system.

One more tip - keep documentation of everything! Screenshot your payment confirmations, save the confirmation numbers, and print copies of your quarterly filings. Washington ESD's system has been known to lose records occasionally.

If anyone needs the direct phone number for unemployment tax questions, it's 360-902-9733. But like others mentioned, be prepared for long hold times. Having backup options like the Claimyr service can really save you time and frustration.

Does anyone know if there are different requirements for seasonal businesses? We only operate during summer months but still have to file quarterly reports during our off season.

Final update from my end - I got my payment processed successfully by mail and received confirmation about a week later. Sometimes the simple approach really is the best when you're dealing with government systems!

For anyone still struggling to get through to Washington ESD by phone, I can't recommend Claimyr enough. I've used them three times now for different employer tax issues and it's been worth every penny to avoid the frustration of endless hold times and disconnected calls.

Thanks everyone for all the help! I think I have enough information now to get this sorted out. Going to try the online registration first and fall back to phone or mail if needed. Really appreciate this community!

One final reminder - your unemployment tax rate for next year will be determined by your claims experience through June 30th of this year. So if you're working on reducing turnover or improving hiring practices, now is the time to focus on that for future rate benefits.

Hope this thread helps other employers too. The Washington unemployment tax system definitely has a learning curve but it gets easier once you understand the process.

I just went through this same nightmare last month! The key thing that finally worked for me was calling the Department of Revenue directly at 360-705-6741 instead of the ESD number. They were able to walk me through the My DOR registration process and link my unemployment tax account on the same call. Took about 45 minutes total but saved me days of frustration with the online system. Once you're set up, the quarterly payments are actually pretty straightforward - just make sure you're logged into My DOR, not the ESD portal. Also, if you're really pressed for time, you can pay by phone with a debit card through their automated system at 360-705-6742. There's no fee for debit cards, only credit cards.