Freedom uses your company tax account details to calculate the right payroll taxes and file them with the correct agencies. Complete this setup so your payroll runs and filings stay accurate.
Note: Keep your tax account numbers and agency notices on hand before you start. When an agency sends a new account number or rate later, see Update a state tax rate, tax ID, or deposit schedule.
Go to Company Tax Setup under Taxes in the sidebar.
Select the card under "Federal taxes", or a state's name, to open it. Start with any card marked "Action required". States that still need setup are listed under "Registrations needed". States with no open items are listed under "Not blocking", and you can still change their values.
Select a value to open its window. Each row shows the value on record or a status. Enter a value on every row that reads "Still needed". A row that reads "Not set" is not needed right now and can wait.
Enter the value exactly as it appears on your registration paperwork, then click "Save Changes". Repeat for each value.
Each value saves on its own, so there is no final save step. The count on each card, such as "1 of 3", shows how many values are set.
Set up federal taxes during onboarding
While your company is still being set up, federal taxes are a task on your Onboarding page. The "Set up state taxes" and "Authorize tax filings" tasks stay locked until your bank account is connected and federal taxes are set up. When federal taxes are what is missing, the locked tasks read "Set up federal taxes first". "Set up state taxes" also stays locked until you add at least one employee. Contractors don't count. When only an employee is missing, the task reads "Add an employee first". To add one, see Add a new employee.
Open Onboarding in the sidebar and select "Set up federal taxes" under "Final steps", or go straight to Set up federal taxes.
Enter your federal tax details, such as your EIN, in the form on the page.
When the page says "Task complete", the task is done. Select the button under it, which reads "Next:" followed by your next task, or "Back to onboarding" if no tasks are left.
You can also enter or change federal values on Company Tax Setup: open the card under "Federal taxes", select a value, enter it, and click "Save Changes". The onboarding task counts those answers too.
If you don't have a state account number yet
Record that you applied: select the state value to open its window, check "I've applied for this but don't have it yet", and click "Save Changes". Not every value offers this checkbox. The row shows "Applied for, not yet received" until you enter the number. Come back and enter it when the agency sends it.
Have Freedom register you: open the state's card, find "Let us register you in" that state, and click "Register for me". Registration costs a one-time fee for each agency, and we add the account numbers here when the state issues them. See Register for payroll taxes in a new state.