HR Fast Facts: Filing for a Business License in Washington State
Companies who pay employees in Washington State must file for a business license in WA and register online to receive the necessary tax account and ID numbers and tax rates.
Companies who pay employees in Washington State must file for a business license in WA and register online to receive the necessary tax account and ID numbers and tax rates.
Application Process
- Submit application online with the WA Department of Revenue. Here’s a list of application fees.
- The WA Department of Labor will open a workers’ compensation account for the company.
- The WA Employment Security Department will open an unemployment insurance account for the company.
- Within 10-14 days, the company will receive a packet with the following information:
- Employment Security (ES) Reference Number
- Unified Business Identification (UBI) number
- Workers’ Compensation Account ID
- Participant Activation Code
- State Unemployment Insurance (SUI) and Employer Administration Fund (EAF) tax rates
- Composite Rate (also called the Hourly Rate)
- Risk class code
- Employee Withholding amount (employee-paid portion of Composite Rate)
