Iowa

Before you can pay employees, make sure you've registered for the applicable work and live in state. This can sometimes take several weeks—the sooner you start the process, the sooner you'll have the tax account information required to pay them.

Note, CertiPay Online can put your account in an applied for status. This may cause additional monthly fees as some states do not accept returns/tax liability deposits for accounts that are in an applied for status. 

Iowa Tax Agency

• State Unemployment Insurance - Iowa Workforce Development
• State Income Tax Withholding - Iowa Department of Revenue

Eligibility Requirements 

Your company becomes liable for state unemployment insurance tax once the company has:

• Paid $1500 in wages during a calendar quarter
• Had an employee working at least one day during a 20 week period

Register with Iowa Workforce Development

Read the Iowa Workforce Development New Business Fact Sheet before proceeding with registration. The state will not provide a tax account number until there are wages paid to an employee. 

1. Go to MyIowaUI to create an account. 

2. Click Create ID towards the top of the website. 

3. Enter your first and last name then click the Register button

4. Enter the Account ID of your choice, email address and confirm the email address. 

5. Click Save Account Details 

6. You will receive a registration confirmation screen and an email to activate your account. 

7. Once the account is activated, you will be able to login and register for a Unemployment Account Number

After registering online, you should receive the below instantly:

• UI account number
• Contribution Rate

If you're unsure of your account number or rate, you can call the agency at (866) 239-0843. 

Register with Iowa Department of Revenue

1. Go to GovConnectIowa 

2. Under the Registration section, select the Registration a New Business

3. The page will direct you to login. If you have an account already center your username and password. If not, then click a Create a Logon

4. Click the Next button 

5. Enter your information to create a user.

6. A validation email will be sent to your email inbox. Enter the validation code into the state site. 

7. Continue the registration with your company's information. 

8. Once the business registration is completed, you will receive a confirmation number will appear on your screen. Please keep this for your records. 

Your Iowa state withholding account number will be sent via mail within 4-6 weeks. The account number will be referred to as an Withholding Permit Number, typically 9 digits and starts with a 3. Along with the account number, you will get information regarding your deposit frequency. 

Agency Contact Information