Alabama payroll tax registration
What to set up in Alabama before the first payroll, in date order, with each agency, online portal and deadline. Enter the first employee's start date and the first pay date to see the dates.
Setup steps before the first payroll
- Workers' comp
Get workers' compensation coverage if Alabama's rule covers the business
- Deadline
- Before anyone starts work
- Source
- alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama?section=25-5-50 (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
- Posters
Hang the required posters, including the 'Your Job Insurance' and workers' compensation notices
- Deadline
- Before anyone starts work
- Source
- workforce.alabama.gov/employers/posters/ (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
- New hire reporting
Report each new hire
- Deadline
- Within 7 days of hireCounted here from the start date; report sooner if the employee was hired before it.
- Source
- alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama?section=25-11-5 (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
- State tax accounts
Register for an Alabama withholding tax account with ADOR in My Alabama Taxes
- Deadline
- Before the first payroll that withholds Alabama tax
- Agency
- Withholding: Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR), Withholding Tax Section (opens in a new tab)
- Returns
- Quarterly Form A-1 for every registered employer, due by the last day of the month after the quarter (filed even with no tax withheld); monthly Form A-6 by the 15th of the next month for any month of a quarter's first two months in which more than $1,000 was withheld.
- Source
- www.revenue.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/whbooklet_0126.pdf (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
- Local taxes
Register with each city or county that levies an occupational tax where employees work
- Deadline
- Before the first payroll that must withhold it
- Some cities and counties levy occupational (license) taxes on wages, administered by the city or county, not ADOR; the employer contacts and registers with each levying locality.
- Source
- www.revenue.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/whbooklet_0126.pdf (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
- State tax accounts
Register for an unemployment account in eGov
- Deadline
- Once wages have been paid for Alabama work, before the first quarterly report (due the last day of the month after the quarter)
- Agency
- Unemployment: Alabama Department of Workforce (opens in a new tab)
- Source
- workforce.alabama.gov/employers/faq/ (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
- State tax accounts
File the first quarterly unemployment tax and wage report
- Deadline
- Last day of the month after the quarter: January 31, April 30, July 31, October 31January 31, 2027 is a Sunday; whether Alabama moves it to the next business day is not confirmed.
- Source
- workforce.alabama.gov/employers/faq/ (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
Federal dates for this pay date
Federal returns follow the compliance calendar, which dates them for every employer:
A 501(c)(3) organization generally owes no FUTA tax and files no Form 940 (Form 940 instructions (opens in a new tab)).
Not needed in Alabama
- No state paid leave program funded through payroll.alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama?section=25-7-41 (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
More on Alabama
WORKLIO HCM
Hiring in a new state? We help open the accounts.
We help open state withholding and unemployment accounts when you hire somewhere new, and our registration service can register your employer tax accounts for you: withholding, unemployment and paid leave contributions where the state's tax agency collects them. After that, Worklio HCM calculates, deposits and files your payroll taxes in every state and locality, new-hire state reporting is automatic, and rates and rules update without you noticing.
Registration in other states
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
The agency page or document behind each fact, as checked.
- www.revenue.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/whbooklet_0126.pdf (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
- alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama?section=25-5-50 (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
- workforce.alabama.gov/employers/posters/ (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
- adol.alabama.gov/employers/alabama-new-hire/ (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama?section=25-11-5 (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
- workforce.alabama.gov/employers/ (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
- workforce.alabama.gov/employers/faq/ (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
- alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama?section=25-7-41 (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements with the relevant agency or your advisor. You remain responsible for registering and for your employment taxes.