Unemployment Insurance Taxes
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Deniece Thomas and the Unemployment Insurance team celebrate the successful rollout of the UI tax system updates. (Mike Rivera / TDLWD)
UI Tax System Updates Give Employers More Functionality
Tennessee employers can more easily file reports and access information after updates to the state’s unemployment insurance tax system.
The UI tax upgrades, which rolled out last week, include the addition of several self-service options. Employers can now go to the Employer e-Services portal on jobs4TN to view account details or correct errors, tasks they previously weren’t able to do without the assistance of state workers.
The new system is intuitive and streamlines processes, saving employers time.
“We just needed to look at a better way of our business working for us and the employers,” said Chris Russ, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Unemployment Insurance, a division of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). “This is going to be so much better for the employer.”
The upgrades are part of a yearslong effort to modernize the state’s UI system, making it more efficient and easier to use for claimants and employers.
Goodbye, Piles of Paperwork
Before the updates, Tennessee’s UI tax system was largely manual and required employers to submit paper forms or contact the state for even the most basic tasks.
For instance, if a new employer registering their business with the state needed an employer account number, they previously had to fill out a form and then fax or mail it in. After state employees received it, they would have to manually enter the information on the form into the system and send a letter to the employer with the account number. That could take up to seven days, Russ said.
“It was a cumbersome process and a lengthy process just to get a number,” he said.
After last week’s upgrade, employers receive their account number as soon as they register their business online.
Other system improvements allow employers to:
- View their tax rate
- View and track the status of reports
- See and fix errors
- Securely communicate with TDLWD
- Update information, such as their address
- Manage UI benefits and UI tax functions from one portal
- File premium and wage reports
Employers who previously filed premium and wage reports or made payments through the TNPAWS or Third Party Upload (TPU) systems should now use Employer e-Services to perform those functions.
Even though the rollout happened just last week, Russ said the feedback from employers as well as third-party administrators, who can now manage access to their clients in e-Services, has been positive.
A Fully Integrated UI System
The overhaul of the UI tax system comes more than a year after similar updates were made to Tennessee’s unemployment claims services.
Those updates significantly shortened the amount of time it takes Tennesseans to file an unemployment claim or complete their weekly certification. Several self-service options also were added, including the ability for users to reset their password without an agent’s assistance.
Shortly after the successful launch of the Claimant e-Services system in February 2024, the state turned its attention toward improving the UI tax system. Subject matter experts from TDLWD worked alongside staff from the vendor, who moved to Nashville to help implement the new system on this project.
After development, extensive testing and training were conducted. TDLWD employees hosted webinars for employers and third-party administrators to demonstrate the new system, answer questions, and gather feedback. The system went live the day after Memorial Day with no unexpected issues or hiccups.
“The team did an excellent job, both the vendor team and our team, of getting everything done,” Russ said. “It was extremely successful.”
What’s Next?
Tennessee has modernized and integrated its unemployment insurance system, but the work isn’t done.
Russ said state employees will continue to look for ways to improve workflows and processes for employers and claimants.
“I think our goal going forward is to take the efficiencies that we have and improve upon those … and just grow the system to make it the best system we can have not only for Tennessee, but also in the country,” he said.
FAQ for Employers
How do I find Employer e-Services?
Go to the Employer e-Services portal on jobs4TN.gov.
I am already registered on Employer e-Services. Will I need to do anything else to access UI tax functionality?
No. Existing Employer e-Services users who have full access will be able to access UI tax information with the same logon credentials. Logons with Administrator access will need to update their access level to Employer full access to see UI tax functionality.
What is Benefits Access?
Employer e-Services offers two types of access to users: Benefits Access, which grants permission to respond to unemployment claims, and Tax Access, which allows users to file and/or pay wage and premium reports. Employers may grant their workers one or both types of access to e-Services.
Do TNPAWS login credentials work in Employer e-Services?
No, TNPAWS logins will not work on Employer e-Services. If you have not already, you will need to sign up for an online account on Employer e-Services to access UI tax functionality.
Resources
Go the Unemployment Tax System Modernization Project webpage for more information and resources for employers and TPAs, including how-to videos and webinar recordings.
FOCUS is a publication of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.