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M
mtiemeye
October 29, 2022
Question

setting up payroll in WA with no ESD number

  • October 29, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 0 views

I am a one-person company organized as an S-corp. Because I am by myself, the state of Washington will not issue me an Employment Security Department (ESD) number/identifier. 

 

QBO requires this to set up payroll at all. This was not required in the desktop version. So I am at an impasse. The state government is not going to make a special accommodation for me, and it would appear that QBO is not robust enough to recognize a business as small as mine that isn't a sole proprietor. So far I have only had an urging from Intuit that I go get an ESD number.

 

Suggestions?

    2 replies

    R
    RCV
    October 29, 2022

    Providing the best experience with the product is what we aim for, mtiemeye.

     

    The Employment Security Number (ES Number) is the account number you use to file your quarterly unemployment taxes. It also is printed on the top right corner of your annual tax-rate notice and the statement of benefit charges. I know how beneficial it is to your business not to set up the Washington Employment Security Department (ESD) number/identifier on the payroll set-up interview process. However, this option is unavailable in QuickBooks Online (QBO).

     

    With this said, I'd recommend sending this request straight to our product engineers through feedback. Sharing features and options that you would like implemented is how our engineers look for new product updates. Here's how: 

     

    1. Go to the Gear icon at the top.
    2. Select Feedback.
    3. Enter your comments or product suggestions.
    4. Then select Next to submit feedback.

     

    In this case, it would be best to consult your accountant or tax advisor on how to best handle this one in QBO. I've added this article to guide you through accessing some payroll reports in QuickBooks Online. You might want to run a Tax liability report to check your numbers quarterly. To learn about the unemployment insurance tax rate updates in WA, click here. This will provide the details of the changes according to your location.

     

    To ensure the accuracy of your payroll records, we recommend reaching out to our Payroll Support Team. They can help you recalculate the taxes to ensure they are reported correctly. Please make sure to review their Support hours to know when agents are available.

     

    I'm just one reply away if you have follow-up questions about managing your taxes or your account. I’m only a few clicks away from you. Keep safe!

      M
      mtiemeyeAuthor
      October 31, 2022

      Actually, I don't pay quarterly unemployment taxes, nor do I receive tax rate notices or statements of benefit charges. The reason is that I am a one-person company. For this reason, they will not issue me an ESD number. I have asked for one. I can attach their email reply if you would like to see it. There will be no ESD number for me.

       

      So I'm not trying to avoid setting it up to get an advantage. I'm not setting it up because I don't have a number to put in there. This is an oversight in QB Online, which asks for a number which does not exist. What happens next?

        R
        RoseJillB
        November 1, 2022

        I appreciate your quick response to sort out this matter, @mtiemeye.

         

        Getting this fixed is also essential to me to help you set up your QuickBooks Online (QBO) Payroll.

         

        Since you have me, I will share a workaround to complete your setup and enable you to utilize the program. This way, you can use the available features that will benefit or lessen the workload you will need. 

         

        Based on your statement, I can see that there's no way you can get an Employment Security Number (ES Number) as the state of Washington won't provide one. This could be because some states will give only if the employer has submitted any employee's wages.

         

        In your case, you can add zeros on the field to proceed with the setup. Please refer to the format number, which is: 000000000000

         

        Additionally, I added this article for further reference with pulling up payroll reports: Run payroll reports in QuickBooks Online Payroll.

         

        Moreover, you can utilize the memorize report feature in QBO. This way, you can use your previous customization.

         

        Let me know if you have more concerns about setting up payroll. The Community always has your back. Have a good one!

        J
        jules33
        January 18, 2023

        mtiemeye - I called ESD and they said they would not give me a number even if I asked. They do not process single-employee corps (I too am an S-corp and the only employee).

         

        Did you make any progress? I have to submit my fed taxes via EFTPS because I can't via Quickbooks. I also cannot submit taxes via Quickbooks. Am considering going to a different software since the functionality I needed is not here. They have also taken functionality away from contractor set-up.

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