What is unemployment tax number Washington ESD keeps asking for?

The unemployment tax number is your employer's account number with Washington ESD, not something you as an employee would have. It's also called the UBI number (Unified Business Identifier). Your employer pays unemployment taxes quarterly and has this number assigned to their business. You shouldn't need to provide this for a regular UI claim.

wait im confused too, is this different from the EIN number? my old job had an EIN but idk if thats the same thing

I had this same issue when I was trying to call Washington ESD about my claim status. Spent forever on hold just to ask about forms. Actually ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that calls for you and gets you through to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way easier than sitting on hold for hours.

Are you sure you're looking at the right form? I've filed for unemployment twice and never had to provide any employer tax numbers. Maybe you're filling out something for your employer instead of your own claim?

UGH the Washington ESD website is such a mess! I spent 3 hours trying to figure out which forms I needed when I got laid off last month. Everything looks the same and half the links don't work properly.

Just to clarify - there are different numbers depending on what you're doing: 1) SSN for your personal claim, 2) UBI number for employer accounts, 3) EIN for federal tax purposes, 4) Sometimes they ask for your previous claim number if you've filed before. Make sure you're on the right page for what you're trying to do.

if your restaurant boss doesnt know about unemployment tax numbers thats kind of a red flag... all employers are supposed to pay into the unemployment system for their employees

I work in HR and can confirm - the unemployment tax number/UBI is something only employers need to know. We use it when we report new hires, quarterly wages, and respond to unemployment claims. Regular employees never need this number for anything.

Maybe try using the 'Contact Us' feature on the Washington ESD website? Though honestly I tried that once and never got a response. The Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier might be worth trying if you need to talk to someone quickly.

Just wanted to add - if you're filing a new claim, you'll need your employer's business name and address, but not their tax numbers. Washington ESD can look up all that backend stuff themselves once you provide the basic employer info.

honestly the whole washington unemployment system is set up to confuse people on purpose. ive been trying to get my claim sorted for weeks and every time i call they tell me something different

For what it's worth, I had a similar confusion when I first filed. Turned out I was looking at the employer portal instead of the claimant section. Easy mistake to make since the website navigation isn't great.

Quick tip - bookmark the correct claimant login page once you find it. The Washington ESD site has so many similar-looking pages it's easy to end up in the wrong place.

I just went through this exact same thing last week! Turns out I was accidentally on the employer section of the website instead of the regular unemployment claim form. The unemployment tax number/UBI is only something your employer needs to know - you don't need to provide it when filing your claim. Just go to the main Washington ESD page and look for the "File for Unemployment Benefits" link to get to the right form. You'll only need basic info like your SSN, employer name, and work history.

I'm having a similar issue but with a different question - when I try to file my claim, it's asking for my "previous employer's federal ID number" on one of the forms. Is this the same as the EIN number that someone mentioned earlier? I worked for a small landscaping company and I'm not sure they'd even know what I'm talking about if I ask them. Should I just leave it blank or is there another way to find this information?

I had this exact same confusion when I first applied! You definitely don't need the unemployment tax number as an employee - that's your employer's UBI number that they use for their quarterly tax filings. For a regular unemployment claim, you just need your own info (SSN, work history, etc.) and basic employer details like business name and address. Washington ESD can look up all the backend tax stuff themselves. Make sure you're on the claimant section of their website, not the employer portal - they look really similar and it's easy to accidentally end up on the wrong form asking for employer-specific information you wouldn't have.

I just went through this same confusion a few months ago when I first filed! You definitely don't need your employer's unemployment tax number (UBI number) for your personal claim - that's strictly for employers when they file their quarterly reports with the state. It sounds like you might have accidentally ended up on the employer portal section of the Washington ESD website, which happens to a lot of people since the navigation isn't great. For a regular unemployment claim, you only need your SSN, basic employer info (name, address), and your work history. Just make sure you're on the right page by going directly to esd.wa.gov and clicking "File for Unemployment Benefits" - that'll take you to the actual claimant application where you won't see any requests for employer tax numbers.