Do you pay unemployment taxes the state you live work in? California EDD question

Wait so my employer pays it and not me at all? I feel like an idiot for not knowing that. But then where you work versus where you live, does that part matter at all for the claim?

Not silly at all, it's genuinely confusing. For the actual location piece, since you said you worked in California the whole time, you file a California EDD claim regardless of where in the state you happen to live. Location within the state doesn't split things up.

Yep the employer contribution piece tripped me up too when I first filed. I kept thinking I hadn't put enough in or something. It's just not on you at all.

That date mismatch sounds like a nightmare. Did they tell you what to have ready for the interview?

The agent said the DE 4800 notice lays out the specific questions they'd ask, so I just made sure I had my last day documentation together. Worth reading that notice carefully before your scheduled time.

The date thing happened to me too. My former employer reported my last day as a Friday and I had actually stopped working the Wednesday before. Tiny difference but EDD caught it and scheduled an interview.

Oh I had no idea about the federal tax piece. So I should probably elect that withholding when I certify? Does it affect how much I actually get each payment?

Electing withholding does reduce each payment by 10 percent since they're pulling that aside for the IRS, so it's a trade-off between smaller checks now or a tax bill later. Depends on your situation really.

The 1099G thing is important. Last year I forgot about it and had to scramble when I did my taxes. EDD has it in UI Online which is nice, didn't have to wait for paper.

Nobody told me about this withholding option when I filed and I ended up owing money. Would have been much easier to just check that box from the start.

That framing actually helps a lot. So it's more like a worker's compensation type thing where employers carry the cost and employees benefit when needed?

Exactly that kind of structure. And your benefit amount is figured from the highest-earning quarter of your base period, with payments running from $40 up to $450 a week. EDD has a calculator on their site if you want to estimate before your award notice shows up.

The base period thing confused me for months. EDD looks at roughly the first four of your last five completed calendar quarters, not just your most recent job. If that doesn't give you enough wages they'll check the last four quarters instead, automatically.

That's exactly the kind of situation I was worried about. Good to hear California was still the right filing state even with the company being somewhere else.

Yeah EDD was clear about it. If you work in California, you file in California. Only gets complicated if you were actually working in multiple states during that 18-month window, in which case it becomes a combined wage claim and you'd file by phone or mail instead of online.

The combined wage claim thing is real. I had a stretch working in two states and had to call EDD to sort it out. Can't do it online, has to be phone fax or mail.

My employer also had offices in different states. EDD asked about every employer from the last 18 months when I filed, so I listed the California work and was fine. No drama at all once I had everything filled in correctly.

What your employer paid into the system doesn't change your personal benefit amount or how long you can collect. Your weekly amount comes from your own wages in the base period. You can collect up to 26 weeks on a standard California claim, and the max per week is $450. How much your employer paid in taxes is totally separate from that calculation.

Oh that's a relief honestly. I was spiraling thinking if they ever paid below what they should have I'd be penalized for it somehow.

You're not on the hook for your employer's tax obligations. EDD goes after the employer for underpayment issues, not the worker collecting benefits.

So I certify for two weeks the first time but only get paid for one of those weeks? Does that unpaid week count toward my 26 total?

The waiting week is one of your 26 weeks, yes. But it doesn't reduce the total payout because the math is based on 26 paid weeks. It just means your first payment covers one week instead of two.

EDD could explain this so much more clearly. I called them three times thinking something was wrong with my payment before someone finally explained the waiting week to me.

Spent two days refreshing UI Online thinking my payment got lost. It was just the waiting week. EDD really should put a bigger warning about this during the application.

Three mornings is a lot. I've heard the hold times are brutal. Did the agent you talked to explain anything about the base period calculation?

She pulled up my claim and confirmed which quarter they used for the calculation. Said my standard base period had enough wages so they didn't need to go to the alternate. Didn't give me a number for what my employer paid in taxes since that's not how it works, but she broke down the wage quarters clearly.

The 8am to 5pm window makes it really hard for people who have morning shifts at a new job or who are interviewing. Phone line access isn't always realistic.

I didn't know my employer gets notified and can respond. Is that going to cause issues if we didn't part on great terms?

EDD interviews both sides when there's a question about why someone left. For a straightforward layoff there usually isn't much debate. The employer would need to show misconduct to block benefits in a firing situation, and for a quit EDD would want to hear your reasoning for why it was justified.

The employer can't just say no and deny the claim. EDD decides, full stop. Employer input is part of the process but it's not a veto.

Every two weeks not every week, good to know. What do they actually ask during certification?

Mostly whether you were able to work, available for work, and looking for work during those two weeks. They also ask if you earned any wages or had any other income. Report everything you earned in the week you earned it, not when you get the paycheck.

The earned vs paid distinction on wages is really important. I reported wages when I got paid and EDD flagged it. You go by when the work happened.

No minimum number is weirdly both reassuring and not. I'll keep a log just to be safe.

Exactly. EDD can ask about your work search at any time. Having records just means you're not trying to remember weeks-old details from scratch.

CalJOBS registration is also part of the requirements for most claimants. EDD sends a Notice of Requirement to Register for Work (DE 8405) and you've got 21 days from that date to register and post your resume in CalJOBS. Miss it and your payments can get held up.

I'll check if I got that DE 8405 notice. I think I may have set it aside thinking it was junk.

Definitely dig it out. The 21 days runs from the date printed on the notice, not from when you open it. If you're close to the deadline just log in and get the resume posted first, you can fill in everything else later.

My mistake was creating the CalJOBS account but leaving the resume blank. EDD still flagged me because a blank resume doesn't count as posting. Had to call to get it cleared up.

No pension to worry about right now but good to know for the future. What about if I pick up part time work while collecting?

Part time wages get reported for the week you earned them. EDD gives you a little cushion where the first $25 or 25 percent of weekly gross, whichever is bigger, doesn't get counted against your benefit. Anything above that gets subtracted from your weekly amount. Full time work in a week makes you ineligible for that week's benefits entirely.

The part-time earnings rule is worth knowing upfront. I picked up a couple of shifts while job hunting and my benefit was reduced but not eliminated. Much better than not reporting it, which would be an overpayment situation.

How does EDD find out about overpayment stuff? Do they cross-check wage records or something?

EDD does verify wages against employer records and state data, so if what you reported doesn't match what your employer reported you'll hear about it. That's exactly why getting the week you earned it right matters so much.

The appeal window for an overpayment is the same 30-day rule that applies to disqualification notices. Date on the actual notice is what starts the clock, not when it arrives in your mailbox.

So the DE 429Z isn't an approval, got it. When does actual approval happen and how do I know?

EDD just processes the payment for weeks you've certified once they've determined you're eligible. There's no separate approval letter that comes out and says 'you're in'. You know it worked when the payment hits your Money Network card or direct deposit.

The Money Network card thing confused me too. It's not Bank of America anymore, it's Money Network now. EDD sends the card automatically unless you switch to direct deposit through myEDD at https://myedd.edd.ca.gov/

I had no idea there was even a difference in how nonprofits fund it. Good to know my situation isn't affected by that accounting stuff on their end.

Right, it's purely an employer-side accounting difference. As a former employee all you do is file your claim the normal way and EDD handles the rest.

Came here to ask almost this exact question because my last job was at a 501c3 and someone told me I might not qualify. Really glad this was addressed.

I didn't even know there was live chat. Does it work for more complicated questions or just simple status checks?

Status questions and straightforward stuff worked great for me. For something complex like an appeal or an adjudication dispute I'd still try to get a phone agent since they can do more in the system.

Chat wait times in my experience are shorter than the phone but the hours are tighter. If you can't get in between 9 and 2 on a weekday the phone line at 1-800-300-5616 is still the main option.

ID.me steps are what got me held up early on too. I had to redo the photo verification twice before it went through.

The photo quality matters a lot more than you'd think. Good lighting and a plain background helped me get through it the second time.

If you applied by phone or mail and didn't do ID.me, EDD mails a DE 1326C asking you to verify. You'd need to complete that before pending weeks move forward.

This thread answered way more than I came here asking. Really appreciate everyone who took time to explain. Filing my claim with a lot less anxiety now.

Glad it helped. Keep certifying consistently, get your CalJOBS resume posted if you haven't, and check UI Online regularly for any notices that need action.

And remember you can reach EDD through the Help chat in UI Online on weekdays, Ask EDD for written questions, or the phone line. Having multiple channels available helps when one is backed up.

Also keep documenting your work search activities weekly even though EDD doesn't publish a minimum number. If your claim ever gets reviewed you'll want that history ready.