EDD tax refund after winning fraud appeal - how to claim withheld taxes?

You need to contact the Franchise Tax Board (FTB), not EDD. Since your taxes were withheld through the Tax Offset Program, FTB is the agency that actually has your money. Call them at 800-852-5711 and explain you won your EDD appeal. Have your appeal decision number ready when you call. They usually require you to fax or mail a copy of the judge's decision before they'll release the funds. It typically takes 4-6 weeks after they receive your documentation for the refund to be processed.

I had this EXACT same problem last yr!!! the whole process is so confusing. i called edd like 15 times and no one new what i was supposed to do. finally got someone who explained that EDD sends something to FTB to release the funds but they dont do it automatically after the hearing u have to actually ask them to??? makes no sense.

I went through this exact situation last year. Here's what you need to do: 1. First, make a copy of your appeal decision document (the one stating you didn't commit fraud) 2. Call EDD at 1-800-300-5616 and request they send a "Release of Withhold" to the Franchise Tax Board. Be specific about requesting this document. The regular representatives might not know about this process, so ask to speak with a tier 2 specialist if needed. 3. Get a confirmation number for this request and write down the name of the representative 4. Wait about 10 business days (this gives EDD time to send the release to FTB) 5. Then contact FTB at 800-852-5711 to confirm they received the release and ask about your refund timeline The entire process usually takes 4-8 weeks from the time you initiate the release request. Keep all your documentation in case you need to follow up.

If you're having trouble getting through to EDD, I'd recommend using Claimyr. I was in the same situation last month - couldn't get through for days. Claimyr got me connected to an EDD rep in about 15 minutes. It was seriously worth it for something this important. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km and their website is claimyr.com. The rep I spoke with was able to initiate the tax refund release process right away.

My cousin works for the state and she says theres actually 2 diffrent kinds of tax withholds with EDD. One is for fraud penaltys and one is for overpayments. Did ur hearing decision letter say specificly which one u had? That effects how u get the money back. If u had penalties they go thru a diffrent process then regular overpayments.

hey wait did u have to pay back benefits too or just the tax thing? my brother had something similar happen but he also had to pay back like 6 weeks of benefits even tho he won his case. something about "non fraud overpayment" which made NO sense

One more important thing - when you do call EDD to request the Release of Withhold, be sure to mention that this was a "Section 1255.7 withholding" and you need a "Refund Release Notification" sent to FTB. Using these exact terms helps ensure you're connected with someone who understands exactly what you need. The standard representatives often don't handle these specialized requests frequently.

NOBODY MENTIONED THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!!! There's a TIME LIMIT to claim this money back! You only have ONE YEAR from the date of your favorable decision to get this processed!!! After that the state KEEPS YOUR MONEY permanently! Happened to my sister - she waited too long thinking it would just automatically come back to her. DON'T WAIT!!!

i went through all this last year and got my tax refund eventually but when i filed my taxes this year it was all messed up because of the previous withholding. make sure u keep ALL the paperwork from this process for ur next tax return. the ftb sent me a weird form that i had to give my tax guy.

Just want to add that you should also request a written confirmation when you call EDD to request the Release of Withhold. Ask them to email or mail you documentation showing they've initiated the release process. This gives you proof if FTB claims they never received anything from EDD. I learned this the hard way when my case got lost in the system for 3 months because there was no paper trail. Having that written confirmation saved me when I had to escalate to supervisors at both agencies.