Do they send 1099 tax forms for EDD PFL benefits? Confused about my taxes!
I received California PFL benefits for 8 weeks last year while taking baby bonding time with my son. I'm now trying to file my taxes and realized I don't know if I'm supposed to get a tax form for these payments? I never received a 1099 or any tax document from EDD. Are PFL benefits taxable income? If they are, how am I supposed to report this without a tax form? I tried calling EDD but (shocker) couldn't get through to anyone. Has anyone dealt with this before?
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Sienna Gomez
Yes, California PFL benefits are federally taxable, but not taxable at the state level. EDD doesn't automatically send a 1099-G form - you have to request it or view it in your EDD online account under "Tax Information" section. Log into your UI Online account, then look for the 1099-G tab. You can download it directly from there.
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Daryl Bright
•Thank you! I didn't even think to check my online account. I'm still using the same account I used to file my claim, right? Or do I need to create a new one for tax stuff?
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
I went thru this EXACT same panic last tax season lol. Don't worry - just log into your EDD account and go to "Tax Information" and you can print your 1099-G. If you can't find it there, you can request one by calling 1-866-401-2849. I was on hold FOREVER so I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual human at EDD who helped me. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5. Saved me hours of frustration!
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Daryl Bright
•Oh thank you! I'll check my account first but good to know there's another option if I can't get through. How long did it take you to get someone on the phone using that service?
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Abigail bergen
Just to add a bit more info - the 1099-G from EDD will show your total benefits paid in Box 1, and any federal tax withholding (if you chose to have taxes withheld) in Box 4. Remember that while PFL is federally taxable, California doesn't tax these benefits at the state level. For federal taxes, you'll report this amount on Schedule 1, line 8 of your Form 1040.
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Ahooker-Equator
•But what if you didnt get any 1099G forms in the mail?? I got PFL last year too and didnt get ANYTHING from EDD about taxes. Does this mean I dont have to report it???
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Sienna Gomez
@profile5 - You DEFINITELY still need to report it even if you didn't receive a form. Not reporting taxable income is a big no-no with the IRS. As mentioned above, you need to log into your EDD account and download the 1099-G, or request one. The IRS already knows about this income because EDD reports it to them.
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Anderson Prospero
•This happened to me too! I finally found my 1099-G online but the amount looked wrong. It was WAY more than I actually got for my maternity leave. Turned out it included both my pregnancy disability AND baby bonding benefits together. Just a heads up that it might combine different benefit periods.
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Tyrone Hill
wait dont u only need a 1099 if ur self employed?? i thought regular w2 employees dont get those?? im so confused bc i got PFL too and didnt get any tax forms
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Abigail bergen
•You're thinking of a 1099-MISC or 1099-NEC, which are for self-employment income. The 1099-G is a different form used for certain government payments like unemployment benefits and, in this case, Paid Family Leave benefits. These are not considered wages, so they don't go on a W-2. Anyone who receives these types of benefits should get a 1099-G.
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Daryl Bright
OK, I found it! Logged into my EDD account and found the Tax Information section. My 1099-G was there showing all my PFL benefits from 2024. Thank you all SO much for the help! One more question - will this affect how much I get back on my refund? I didn't have any taxes withheld from my PFL payments.
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Sienna Gomez
•Yes, it could potentially reduce your refund or increase what you owe since this is taxable income that you didn't have withholding on. How much it affects you depends on your overall tax situation - your total income, filing status, deductions, etc. If you use tax software, just input the information from the 1099-G and it will calculate everything for you.
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Toot-n-Mighty
I remeber going thru this my first time on maternity leave! The whole tax situation with EDD is SO CONFUSING. Dont feel bad for asking - their system is not user friendly AT ALL. Just make sure you include it on your taxes or you might get a surprise letter from the IRS later (ask me how I know lol). Good luck with your taxes and congrats on the baby!
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Daryl Bright
•Thank you! And oh no - did you get audited or something? Now I'm worried because I didn't report my PFL from 2023 because I didn't know I was supposed to...
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Sienna Gomez
@OP regarding your 2023 benefits - you might want to consider filing an amended return (Form 1040-X) for that tax year. The IRS does get reports of your benefit payments from EDD, so there's a good chance they'll eventually notice the discrepancy. Filing an amendment yourself is better than waiting for them to contact you, as it shows good faith and might reduce any potential penalties.
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Daryl Bright
•Thank you for the advice. I'll look into filing an amended return. Wish EDD made this clearer when you're applying for benefits!
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Savanna Franklin
I'm dealing with this same situation right now! Just wanted to add that if anyone is having trouble accessing their EDD online account (mine was locked for some reason), you can also request the 1099-G by mail by calling the number mentioned earlier or through their online form. It takes a few weeks to arrive though, so definitely try the online account first. Also, for anyone who had both SDI (pregnancy disability) and PFL benefits like me, they'll both be on the same 1099-G form but broken down separately. Super helpful thread - saved me a lot of stress!
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Dmitry Petrov
•This is such a helpful thread! I'm new to this whole PFL process and honestly had no idea about the tax implications. Quick question - when you say they break down SDI and PFL separately on the same 1099-G, does that mean I need to report them on different lines of my tax return? Or do they just go together as one lump sum? Also, thanks for the tip about requesting by mail - good to know there's a backup option!
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