Washington Employment Security Department

Register Your Business

There is not a unique application form to register with the Employment Security Department. Simply apply for a state business license and check the boxes to indicate you have or plan to hire employees.

Pay online using EAMS
https://secureaccess.wa.gov/esd/eams/AvailableServices.aspx

Pay by mailing a check
The paper remittance listing(s), labeled "ICESA WASHINGTON REPORTING," will list the nine-digit ES reference number, amount remitted, check number, federal ID number, Unified Business Identifier (UBI) and business name, in that order.

• Remittance listings will have a maximum of 50 accounts per page and each page will include a total for that page.
• Include information for one account (nine-digit ES reference number) per line.
• If submitting more than one report, submit a separate check for each account with the ES reference number for that payment listed in the memo field. The amount of the check must equal the Total payment due and amount remitted fields listed in the T Record (see bulk filing format specifications for details).
• Put the checks in the same order as the remittance-listing page.
• Mail each remittance-listing page, with the corresponding checks to:
  • Standard:
    Employment Security Department
    PO Box 34467
    Seattle, WA  98124-1467
  • Priority mail only:
    Employment Security Department
    1109 Pacific Avenue
    Tacoma, WA  98402

Mail or online.

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Quarterly by the end of the month following each quarter. When a due date falls on a weekend or state holiday, your report may be postmarked the following business day.

WAC 192-300-210

• All employers must file a tax and wage report every quarter, including employers who have no payroll for a given quarter. If you fail to submit a report on time, you will be charged a penalty of $25 per report (RCW 50.12.220).
• You will also have to pay a penalty if you are late on a tax payment, or if you file an incomplete report or file on the wrong form.
• Other penalties apply for knowing misrepresentation of payroll (see RCW 50.12.220(3)), for failing to keep required records (see RCW 50.12.070(3)), and for knowingly failing to register with us as required (see RCW 50.12.072).

• File a separate electronic report for each client employer using electronic reporting using EAMS, or UIWebTax
• You also have the option of filing separate paper reports for each client employer (Forms 5208A and 5208B).
• If you file separately for each client employer, you also must submit a separate tax payment for each client employer. Payments can be made by check or online.

Client Registration Form

Instructions for Submitting Client Data Electronically to Washington
State Employment Security Department

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Within 30 days for any client employer registering with the department for the first time and within 30 days of the effective date whenever the professional employer organization and a client employer enter a professional employer agreement.

PEOs that have client companies in Washington must provide the department with all of the following information for each client company:

• Name and address
• Unified business identifier (UBI Number)
• Employment Security reference number (current or former)
• Names and Social Security number of each corporate officer, owner or limited liability company member
• Physical address in Washington State where payroll records will be available for inspection
• A signed power of attorney form