Minnesota · Payroll registration
Minnesota payroll tax registration, done for you.
Two things make Minnesota worth getting right in order. There is a $100 penalty for failing to register for a Minnesota ID number and withholding tax account, and the unemployment registration asks for your Department of Revenue taxpayer ID, so Revenue has to come first.
Who you are dealing with
Minnesota Department of Revenue
- Handles:
- Minnesota tax ID number and withholding tax account
- System:
- e-Services
- Form:
- Apply online for a Minnesota ID number and register the withholding tax account. The Withholding Tax ID is issued immediately on completing the online registration
- Phone:
- 651-282-5225, or 1-800-657-3605 toll free
Minnesota Unemployment Insurance Program
- Handles:
- Unemployment insurance employer account
- System:
- Employer Self-Service System
- Form:
- Register as a new employer on the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance website. The account number is issued immediately online. The application asks for your Department of Revenue taxpayer ID, so complete Revenue first
State fee. $0 to register. There is a $100 penalty for failing to register for a Minnesota ID number and withholding tax account, which is a penalty rather than a fee and is avoidable by registering.
When you have to register
Register for the Minnesota ID number and withholding tax account before you withhold tax from employees' wages. That is a prerequisite rather than a deadline you can catch up on, and the $100 penalty attaches to failing to do it.
What comes next
Not applicable to a registration. For later: Minnesota asks that accounts be closed at the end of a filing cycle rather than mid-period, and only an e-Services Master for the business can close the business and all its accounts.
How long it takes
Both numbers are issued immediately on completing the online registrations. Minnesota is among the fastest states we file in, provided the sequence is right and you have the details below to hand.
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 Minnesota harder than average
- The order matters and nothing tells you. Unemployment registration asks for your Department of Revenue taxpayer ID. Start at the Unemployment Insurance site and you will be sent away to get a number you do not have yet.
- There is a named penalty. Minnesota states a $100 penalty for failing to register for a Minnesota ID number and withholding tax account. Most states describe the obligation without pricing the failure.
- Immediate is conditional on being prepared. Both numbers issue instantly online, but only if you already have the legal name as registered with the Secretary of State, any trading name, physical and mailing addresses, the FEIN, and the Revenue taxpayer ID. Missing one turns instant into another day.
- The legal name has to match the Secretary of State exactly. Minnesota asks for the name of the legal entity as registered, with the trading name separately if different. An approximate answer creates a mismatch that surfaces later.
Questions and answers
Which Minnesota registration comes first?
Revenue. The unemployment insurance application asks for your Department of Revenue taxpayer ID, so get the Minnesota ID number and withholding account first, then register for unemployment.
Is there a penalty for registering late?
Minnesota states a $100 penalty for failing to register for a Minnesota ID number and withholding tax account. Registration is required before you withhold tax from wages.
How long does it take?
Both the Withholding Tax ID and the Unemployment Insurance account number are issued immediately after completing the online registrations. It is one of the fastest states, assuming you have everything to hand.
What do I need before starting?
The legal entity name exactly as registered with the Secretary of State, any doing-business-as name, the physical address, the mailing address if different, the FEIN, and for the unemployment side the Department of Revenue taxpayer ID.
What do you need from me to start?
All of the above, plus your first payroll date and Minnesota work locations. If the entity is not yet registered with the Secretary of State, that comes first.
Agency details verified 2026-08-03