Setting up payroll in Washington D.C. for the first time
Before you can pay employees in a new state, you must register with the state’s tax agencies. This lets you file and pay the right taxes.
Use the dropdowns below to learn more. Use CMD + F (or CTRL + F) to search for words in the article.
Gusto works with Middesk to help you register with tax agencies in new states.
Get help registering for state taxes
We can help you register for state tax accounts after you:
Cost, timeline, and who can register
The cost, steps, and turnaround time depend on the state. Gusto will show you these details when you start the registration process.
Middesk cannot help if your company is:
What the process looks like
Third-Party Access (TPA) and Power of Attorney (POA) reminder
Some state agencies need Gusto to have TPA or a POA on file to file and pay your taxes. Usually, Middesk does not set this up, so you’ll have to do it yourself after registration.
If there's no TPA or POA section, it's not needed right now.
If setting up TPA requires online agency portal access
The cost, steps, and turnaround time depend on the state. Gusto will show you these details when you start the registration process.
Need help with registration questions?
If you’re not sure how to answer one of the registration questions, check Middesk’s Help Center or email them at taxregistrations@middesk.com.
How to get started with state tax registration in Gusto:
Third-Party Access (TPA) and Power of Attorney (POA) reminder
Some state agencies need Gusto to have TPA or a POA on file to file and pay your taxes. Usually, Middesk does not set this up, so you’ll have to do it yourself after registration.
If there's no TPA or POA section, it's not needed right now.
If setting up TPA requires online agency portal access
Need to make a change?
If you already submitted your info but need to fix something, email taxregistrations@middesk.com to update it.
When your order is complete, you’ll get emails from Gusto and Middesk. They’ll detail the next steps, which include:
Before your order is done, you can check the order status in your Gusto account:
For most states where tax registration info is sent by physical mail, here's what to expect:
Q: Can I run payroll before my registration is done?
A: Yes. You may be asked to enter tax rates and tax deposit frequencies, but you can use temporary info.
Important reminders
Q: I need to change some of the registration information that was submitted. What do I do?
A: Email Middesk at taxregistrations@middesk.com.
Q: Can I use Gusto to register in a new state without a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)? What if my business is merging or being acquired?
A: No, you need a FEIN in Gusto to get registration help for state taxes. If your business is merging or being acquired, Middesk cannot help with registration. You'll need to work with a tax advisor and state agencies directly.
Q: What if I'm not liable for unemployment tax yet?
A: If you want Middesk to start setting up an unemployment account number before you're liable, you can:
Q: What do I do if the tax agency contacts me after the registration is submitted?
A: Respond to them. For some agencies (like in CA and IA), you may need to answer a verification call or email to confirm that the registration request is legitimate. If you do not complete this within 3–5 business days, the order may be canceled and refunded.
Q: Can Middesk help if the responsible party is international without an ITIN or SSN?
A: No. Middesk cannot help in this scenario, you'll need to register on your own.
Q: Why am I unable to enter 0% ownership for the responsible party or add a commercial owner?
A: Some states have a 1% minimum for the responsible party's ownership percentage. These states include ID, KS, MN, OH, SC, DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, and RI.
You’ll need to place registration orders directly with Middesk outside of Gusto or register directly with the agency.
Some states require an individual owner to be listed. If you’re a non-profit or unsure, contact Middesk for help at taxregistrations@middesk.com.
Q: When will my tax account information be available?
A: Each state and agency takes a different amount of time to process a registration. To estimate when your state tax account info will be available, check the Post Submission Questions in Middesk's help article.
Q: Where can I find my tax information?
A: You can find your tax info in several places:
Gusto’s state tax registration service does not contain tax, legal, financial, or HR advice. Since rules and regulations change over time and can vary by location, consult a lawyer, HR expert, or accountant for specific guidance.
Q: Does Middesk help with giving Gusto third-party access (TPA) or Power of Attorney (POA) for tax payments?
A: Some state agencies need Gusto to have TPA or POA access to file and pay your taxes. Usually, Middesk does not set this up, so you’ll have to do it yourself after registration.
Check the state registration articles to see if TPA or POA is needed and how to set it up. If there's no “Authorize Gusto” section, then TPA is not needed right now.
If setting up TPA or POA requires online agency portal access:
Q: Does Middesk help close state tax accounts?
A: No, you'll need to close the tax account yourself.
Q: Can I cancel my Middesk order?
A: At this time, we do not support order cancellations or refunds.
Q: What is Middesk's phone number?
A: To get support from Middesk, you must email them at taxregistrations@middesk.com. They can help with registration-specific questions, or changing info that's already been submitted. For all other questions, you can message Gusto.
Click the dropdowns below to learn how to register with state agencies—once you've registered, authorize Gusto to help with your tax issues by giving us the Power of Attorney (POA) access the agency requires.
It can take up to 10 business days before you receive your account number and tax deposit schedule after registering online. Keep this time frame in mind when planning your first Washington D.C. payroll.
After registering, if you cannot find your account number or tax deposit schedule:
Once a valid Washington D.C. work address has been added in Gusto for one or more employee(s), you can add your tax account information:
If you have questions about your current account number or schedule, call the agency at (202) 759-1946.
Your company usually becomes liable for unemployment insurance tax once the company has:
If you need to run payroll and do not yet meet the above requirements, Gusto allows it—we suggest you add the "New employer SUI tax rate" specific to Washington D.C. in the meantime. You'll need to update the rate once you have your company-specific assigned rate.
You'll want to register with the D.C. Department of Employment Services as soon as you become liable—eventually, Gusto will need:
Once you've registered online, you should receive your unemployment account number and tax rate instantly.
After registration, if you cannot find your unemployment account number or rate, call the agency at (202) 724-7000. Gusto will also use your D.C. DOES account number when paying and reporting your paid family leave tax—learn more in the Paid family leave dropdown below.
Once you've finished registering, you can authorize Gusto to help with your tax issues by giving us the Power of Attorney (POA) access the agency requires.
Once a valid Washington D.C. work address has been added in Gusto for one or more employee(s), you can add your tax account information:
If you do not know your account number or rate, call the agency at (202) 724-7000.
Washington D.C.'s Paid Family Leave benefits, and related tax, apply to all private sector employers in D.C., with few exceptions.
Employers fund the tax through a quarterly employer-only tax that is based on employees' wages. Benefits are offered to workers who qualify.
Gusto supports Washington D.C.'s paid family leave (PFL) tax in that we'll:
There is not a separate account number for this program. Use your D.C. DOES account number (also used for unemployment insurance tax).
If you've already registered in the District, you'll need to enter your tax account details in Gusto.
You'll need to be registered with one or more of the below agencies in order for Gusto to file and pay taxes on your behalf:
If you still need to register, click the applicable dropdown above in this article.
If you've run payroll in Washington D.C. in the past, you can find your withholding tax account number and tax deposit schedule by:
To find out where you can enter this information in Gusto, head to the Enter the tax account information in Gusto dropdown below.
You can find your unemployment account number on the “Contribution Rate Note or Quarterly Contribution & Wage Report (Form DOES-UC30)” received from the Department of Employment Services.
Your D.C. UI Tax Rate can be found by:
Important: Do not include the Administrative Assessment, it’s a fixed rate, so we’ll include it automatically.
If you do not know your account number or rate, call the agency at (202) 698-7550. If you don't have your assigned rate yet, enter the new employer rate for your state in Gusto in the meantime—update the rate once you receive it.
To find out where you can enter this information in Gusto, head to the Enter the tax account information in Gusto dropdown below.
Washington D.C.'s Paid Family Leave benefits, and related tax, apply to all private sector employers in D.C., with few exceptions.
Employers fund the tax through a quarterly employer-only tax that is based on employees' wages. Benefits are offered to workers who qualify.
Gusto supports Washington D.C.'s paid family leave (PFL) tax in that we'll:
There is not a separate account number for this program. Use your D.C. DOES account number (also used for unemployment insurance tax).
Once a valid Washington D.C. address has been added in Gusto for one or more employee(s), you can add your tax account information:
If you edit a tax account number after payments or filings have already been made, there may be tax implications. Learn how to pull reports in Gusto that can help you correct any historical tax issues related to tax account number updates.
Learn how to authorize Gusto as your third-party agent (TPA) for the agency below.
Authorize Gusto as your Power of Attorney (POA) so we can help troubleshoot tax issues. Gusto will become your POA—also known as a third party agent (TPA)—for the D.C. Department of Employment Services (unemployment tax)
To become your POA for this agency, a notarized form authorizing Gusto as your payroll provider must be submitted to the agency—to make this easy, we’ll prepare the necessary document for you to e-sign in Gusto. Then, we’ll submit the form directly to the agency.
This form will only populate once you’ve assigned a D.C. work address to your first D.C. employee.
We’ll submit this to the agency directly on your behalf—you’re all set for now.
You may need to verify the following information you have entered into Gusto matches the information found in your D.C. DOES web portal:
If Gusto is still having trouble gaining access to your account, call the agency at (202) 724-7000 to determine what's blocking Gusto's authorization.
You can view forms in Taxes & Compliance, then Tax documents. Switch between the tabs to find federal, state, W-2s, and 1099s.
Some forms show an asterisk (*). Forms like payment vouchers or coupons that were filed electronically may not show in your Gusto account. Sign in to the agency's portal to view filings and payments.
To see what Gusto has paid for you, run the Agency Payments report.
Learn how to close or reopen tax accounts.