Skip main navigation

Outdated or Unsupported Browser Detected
DWD's website uses the latest technology. This makes our site faster and easier to use across all devices. Unfortunatley, your browser is out of date and is not supported. An update is not required, but it is strongly recommended to improve your browsing experience. To update Internet Explorer to Microsoft Edge visit their website.

Tax Collection FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the delinquent account process and payment questions related to unemployment taxes for employers.

Expand All | Collapse All

You can find your current balance due online if you have set up online access to our portal. The part of the portal where you can check your current balance is the billing detail section. If you do not have access to our online portal, please contact our office at (608) 261-6700 to be sent an access key. If you do not have internet access you can find your current balance due by contacting us at (608) 266-9700.

If you cannot pay the full amount due with your contribution and wage report, file the completed Contribution/Wage Report on time and pay as much as possible.

After filing the completed Contribution/Wage Reports, fill out and submit our payment plan request form. An analyst will review the request and respond as soon as possible.

You may also contact us at (608) 266-9700 to request an installment agreement.

As long as you honor the terms of the installment agreement (make installment payments and timely file and pay all subsequent liabilities), the department will not take other collection action. However, the department may file a tax warrant and/or intercept any State of Wisconsin or Federal tax refunds if your agreement extends past a four-month period.

A description of the various types of penalties that can be assessed on your Unemployment account and the criteria which must be met to have those penalties waived can be found on our penalty waiver request form.

Our system generates estimates based on previous quarters of wage reporting when an account is still open in our system and we didn't receive Contribution/Wage Reports for a quarter.

  • If you would like to keep your account open because you plan on having employees again in the future, please file the Contribution/Wage Reports for the quarters that are missing.
  • If you don't plan on having employees again in the future and would like to close your account, please fill out and return the account change information form.
  1. Can I use my credit card to make a payment on my delinquent tax liability?
    Yes, you can make a credit/debit card payment online in the Payment Options section of our portal. We cannot set up recurring payments with credit/debit cards, we can only set up single payments with this method. There is a 2% service fee (subject to change) for each credit or debit card transaction. For further information, go to Card Payment Options for Employers.

  2. Can I use automatic withdrawals from my bank account to pay my delinquent taxes?
    Yes, you can have monthly payments automatically withdrawn from your checking or savings account. Go to Electronic Payment Options for Employers.

  3. Where do I send a check or money order?
    If you have received a notice from the department with an address indicated for mailing payments, please use that address along with the remittance document. Please add your account number to the check to ensure proper posting to your accounts.

    Payments may also be mailed to:
    Unemployment Insurance
    P.O. Box 8914
    Madison, WI 53708

A tax warrant acts as a lien against real and personal property you own in the county in which it is filed. The warrant is filed with the Clerk of Court and is a public record of the amount you owe. It could affect your ability to obtain credit or sell real estate. There are fees associated with filing a warrant. The cost of filing and satisfying the warrant will be added to the delinquent tax account at the time the warrant is filed. Currently the cost is $10.

Written inquiries:
Unemployment Insurance
Tax Collections
P.O. Box 8914
Madison WI 53708

Telephone inquiries:
(608) 266-9700 (press 0)

UI Tax Collections Email Inquiries
(Please include your name, account number, phone number, and email address in the body of the message.)