Georgia · Payroll registration
Georgia payroll tax registration, done for you.
Georgia splits this across two agencies from the start. The Department of Labor wants Form DOL-1A immediately following your first Georgia payroll, and the Department of Revenue wants a separate withholding registration through the Georgia Tax Center. Neither one produces the other.
Who you are dealing with
Georgia Department of Labor, UI Tax Division
- Handles:
- Unemployment insurance employer account
- System:
- GDOL Employer Portal
- Form:
- Form DOL-1A, the Employer Status Report. It establishes the GDOL account number, sets the initial contribution rate, and classifies the business by six digit NAICS code
Georgia Department of Revenue
- Handles:
- State income tax withholding account
- System:
- Georgia Tax Center
- Form:
- Registered separately through the Georgia Tax Center at gtc.dor.ga.gov to obtain a withholding tax account number
- Phone:
- 877-423-6711
State fee. $0. Neither agency charges to register an employer account. Our flat fee covers preparing and filing each registration.
When you have to register
Two different tests. Georgia says all employing units with individuals performing services in Georgia should complete a DOL-1A immediately following payment of the first Georgia payroll. Liability for unemployment insurance attaches with a quarterly payroll of $1,500, or at least one worker for 20 different calendar weeks in a calendar year.
What comes next
Not applicable to a registration. Worth knowing for later that Georgia gates closure on compliance: the Department of Revenue will not process a close request from a taxpayer with returns outstanding, so the filing habit you set now determines how easy the exit is.
How long it takes
Georgia does not publish a registration turnaround we could confirm from the agency. What it does publish, on the closure side, is a 48 hour account update once you are compliant, which suggests the systems move quickly when the paperwork is right.
What we do
We work out exactly which accounts you need, prepare and submit each registration, and hand you the account numbers, rates, and deposit schedules your payroll system asks for. One flat price per account, and any state fee passed through at cost.
What makes Georgia harder than average
- Immediately, not within a number of days. Georgia's instruction is to complete the DOL-1A immediately following the first Georgia payroll. There is no stated grace period to plan around, which is unusual and sets the tone.
- Two agencies from day one. The Department of Labor account and the Department of Revenue withholding account are separate registrations in separate systems. Georgia never combines them, at registration or at closure.
- The DOL-1A does more than open an account. It sets your initial contribution rate and classifies the business by six digit NAICS code. Getting the classification wrong at registration is harder to unwind than getting it right, because it feeds the rate.
- The same two liability tests as Texas, with different consequences. A quarterly payroll of $1,500 or one worker across 20 different calendar weeks. Two states, identical thresholds, completely different filing machinery afterwards.
- Separation notices start immediately. Georgia requires Form DOL-800 for every worker who separates, whatever the reason. That obligation begins the moment you have employees, not when you close.
Questions and answers
When do I register in Georgia?
The Department of Labor asks for the DOL-1A immediately following payment of your first Georgia payroll. Withholding registration at the Georgia Tax Center is separate and should be in place before that payroll runs.
When does unemployment liability attach?
With a quarterly payroll of $1,500, or at least one worker for 20 different calendar weeks in a calendar year. Either test is enough on its own.
Does one registration cover both accounts?
No. Georgia keeps the Department of Labor unemployment account and the Department of Revenue withholding account entirely separate, at registration and at closure.
What is the NAICS code for?
The DOL-1A classifies your business by six digit NAICS code and that feeds into your unemployment contribution rate. It is worth getting right at registration rather than correcting later.
What do you need from me to start?
The legal name and FEIN, entity type, Georgia work locations, the date of your first Georgia payroll, expected quarterly wages, and a clear description of what the business actually does so the NAICS classification is right.
Agency details verified 2026-08-03