Help! WA L&I/payroll issue: Authorization to Access Information or File on Behalf of Employer

[CSHRLara]

I'm attempting to hire my first employees after managing without for my first five years! I've been jumping though hoops for a couple months now, and just scheduled my first shifts. Then I get a letter from L&I telling me that this form must be filled out if a third party is managing my payroll taxes. Obviously there are things on this form I don't know about Square.

https://lni.wa.gov/forms-publications/F242-431-000.PDF

I've been back and forth with L&I and Square. L&I insists this must be done, or Square won't be able to pay my payroll taxes. Square insists (I am on payroll support specialist #3 this week) that this form does not exist (or that I signed it already). L&I has double checked--they do not have it on file (which does not surprise me since I haven't filled it out yet).

Can anyone help? I can't be the only person who has dealt with this in WA State using Square's payroll service?

Thanks for any insight/guidance. I'm so frustrated and discouraged!

Lara

[JessPoynter]

Hi @CSHRLara 

I'm also in Washington and use Square for payroll. I don't ever remember filling this form out. 

The mention of a UBI for both businesses makes me think this is something different and not meant for payroll organizations like square 🤷‍♀️😬

Probably not what you want you wanted to hear or helpful really. If there's anything else I can provide, please let me know. 

Also, what part of Washington??

[CSHRLara]

Thanks for replying, Jess. I'm up in Bellingham. I added info below for the solution I finally found! 

[CSHRLara]

Solution: finally got someone at L&I to tell me the "representative contact name" which is shown as REQUIRED on the form, is not required for companies like Square, which does not have specific account representatives (though you are still supposed to have this form filled out).

It says this no where online or on the form, and the first three people at L&I couldn't tell me this, and none of the ten people I talked to at Square could either. So I just typed "none" into the box and sent it in, and got confirmation that L&I approved it.