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California Payroll Tax and Registration Guide

Before Beyond can process payroll for your California-based employees, your business must be properly registered and compliant with the state’s payroll tax regulations. To get started, you’ll need to submit:

  • Your California Employer Payroll Tax Account Number and any local or state IDs
  • Your assigned tax rates, including SUI and Employment Training Tax (ETT), issued by the Employment Development Department (EDD)
  • Third-party authorization (TPA) and Power of Attorney, which grant Beyond permission to file reports and pay taxes on your behalf

 

It’s critical that this information be complete and kept up to date. If anything is missing or inaccurate, Beyond may not be able to submit your filings properly. The responsibility for providing accurate tax information rests with you, and Beyond cannot be held liable for penalties or interest resulting from incorrect data.

Simplify State Tax Registrations with Middesk

Need help getting set up with state agencies? Beyond partners with Middesk to make it easier to manage your business's state registrations and stay compliant, no matter where your employees are located.

With Middesk, you can:
• Register for required tax IDs and agency accounts quickly and securely
• Manage all your state accounts through a single, user-friendly platform
• Track compliance and government correspondence directly from your dashboard
• Complete “foreign qualification” steps with the Secretary of State for multi-state compliance

Explore what Middesk has to offer

Understand what you need to provide and what tax-related tasks Beyond takes care of for California employers

What Beyond Needs from You

All California Employers

Task

Purpose

Register with the California Employment Development Department (EDD)

Required to file and pay California payroll taxes

Provide your EDD Payroll Tax Account Number

Assigned by the EDD upon registration

Share your EDD Withholding Deposit Schedule

Dictates how often payroll tax payments must be submitted

Submit your California SUI Rate

Provided annually by the EDD based on your payroll history

Provide your Employment Training Tax (ETT) Rate

A separate employer-paid rate supporting workforce development in California

What Beyond handles for California employers

State Withholding Tax Submissions

  • Form DE 88 / DE 88 ALL

    Payroll Tax Payment Submission - Submitted Semi-Weekly or Monthly, based on deposit schedule

Unemployment Insurance Filings

  • Form DE 9

    Quarterly Employer Contribution and Wage Report - Filed Every Quarter

  • Form DE 9C

    Quarterly Wage Report - Continuation Sheet - Filed Every Quarter

  • Form DE 88

    Quarterly Tax Payment File - Filed Quarterly

  • Form DE 34

    New Hire Reporting Form - Submit as needed whenever a new employee is hired

Where to Find Your Tax Account Info

Existing Employers in California

If you’re already running payroll in California, you can find your:

  • EDD Tax ID and Withholding Deposit Schedule on your Quarterly Contribution Return and Report of Wages (DE 9 / DE 9C)
  • You can also reference prior notices from the EDD for confirmation of your rates and filing frequency

 

New Employers in California

If you haven’t registered with the California EDD yet, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the EDD website
  2. Click “Enroll” to begin the registration process
  3. Once completed, you’ll typically receive your Payroll Tax Account Number instantly
  4. This account number is required before Beyond can file or pay taxes on your behalf

 

If you have questions or can’t locate your account information, contact the EDD directly at (888) 745-3886

California Payroll Tax Rates

  • California Unemployment Insurance (SUI)

    • To view your current rate, log in to your EDD account and enter your EDD Tax ID
    • The default rate for new employers is 3.4%, applied to the first $7,000 in wages per employee annually

     

    Employment Training Tax (ETT)

    • The standard ETT rate is 0.1%, assessed on the same $7,000 wage base
    • If your unemployment rate is 6.2%, then your ETT rate is reduced to 0%

Have employees working in other states?

If your business operates across state lines or has remote team members based in different states, it’s essential to make sure the proper state paperwork is completed for each location. Beyond takes care of filing the necessary forms in every state where your employees are on payroll, helping you stay compliant no matter where your team works.

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