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PAYROLL TAX REGISTRATION

Iowa payroll tax registration

What to set up in Iowa 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.

Facts checked on October 5, 2026 against the official sources listed at the end of this page. For employers. General information, not legal or tax advice: confirm a deadline with the agency before you rely on it.

Setup steps before the first payroll

  1. Workers' comp

    Get workers' compensation coverage

    Deadline
    Before anyone starts work
    Workers' comp in Iowa (Worklio Insurance) (opens in a new tab)
    Source
    dial.iowa.gov/hearings/workers-comp/compliance (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
  2. Posters

    Hang the required posters

    Deadline
    Before anyone starts work
    Online
    workforce.iowa.gov/employers/resources/posters (opens in a new tab)
    Source
    workforce.iowa.gov/employers/resources/posters (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
  3. State tax accounts

    Register for an Iowa withholding permit in GovConnectIowa

    Deadline
    Before the first payroll
    Agency
    Withholding: Iowa Department of Revenue (opens in a new tab)
    Online
    GovConnectIowa (revenue.iowa.gov/permits-licensing/business-permit-registration (opens in a new tab))
    Returns
    By annual Iowa withholding: quarterly under $6,000 a year; monthly $6,000 to $120,000; semimonthly over $120,000
    Source
    revenue.iowa.gov/permits-licensing/business-permit-registration (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
  4. New hire reporting

    Collect a signed Iowa W-4 from each new hire and report each new hire

    Deadline
    Within 15 days of hireCounted here from the start date; report sooner if the employee was hired before it.
    Agency
    Iowa Centralized Employee Registry (Iowa HHS) (opens in a new tab)
    Online
    secureapp.dhs.state.ia.us/epay (opens in a new tab)
    Source
    revenue.iowa.gov/taxes/tax-guidance/withholding-tax/iowa-withholding-tax-information (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
  5. State tax accounts

    Register a UI tax account with IWD at myIowaUI

    Deadline
    Within 30 days of first paying wages in Iowa
    Agency
    Unemployment: Iowa Workforce Development, Unemployment Insurance Tax Bureau (opens in a new tab)
    Online
    www.myiowaui.org/UITIPTaxWeb/uilogin.do (opens in a new tab)
    Source
    workforce.iowa.gov/media/3040 (opens in a new tab), checked October 5, 2026
  6. State tax accounts

    File withholding on the assigned frequency; file the first quarterly UI wage report and contributions

    Deadline
    UI by the last day of the month after the quarter of the first pay date (next business day on a weekend or holiday)January 31, 2027 is a Sunday, so it moves to the next business day.
    Rates
    Iowa payroll tax rates
    Source
    www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/rule/871.23.8.pdf (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 Iowa

More on Iowa

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

Sources

The agency page or document behind each fact, as checked.

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.

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