EDD taxes for multi-state unemployment - CA resident receiving HI benefits

yep ur gonna need to file in both states. happened to me when i worked in nevada but lived in CA. had to do two state returns & it was a pain

This is a pretty common situation for people who work across state lines. As a California resident, you'll need to file a resident CA tax return reporting ALL income (including the HI unemployment). You'll also need to file a non-resident Hawaii return for the unemployment benefits received from Hawaii. The good news is California offers a credit for taxes paid to other states to avoid double taxation on the same income. So while you file in both places, you won't be fully taxed twice on the same money. Make sure you elect to have taxes withheld from your UI payments if possible - it'll make things much easier next tax season.

NOBODY TOLD ME ABOUT THIS when I had UI from Oregon!!!! I only filed CA taxes and now I'm getting letters from Oregon saying I owe them $1,200 in back taxes PLUS penalties!!!!! The EDD should warn people about this stuff but they don't care at all about us!!!!!

I helped my brother with this exact situation last year (CA resident, Arizona UI benefits). Here's what you need to know: 1. You WILL need to file both a CA resident return and a HI non-resident return 2. Hawaii will tax your unemployment benefits at their state rate 3. On your CA return, you'll report your total income including the UI benefits 4. CA has a "Credit for Taxes Paid to Another State" (Schedule S) that will reduce your CA tax by the amount you paid to Hawaii 5. You won't be double-taxed, but you will pay the higher of the two state tax rates The bigger issue might be reaching someone at the Hawaii unemployment office if you have questions about your claim. Have you tried contacting them?

I had a similar issue trying to reach out of state unemployment offices. After wasting hours trying to get through, I found a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual person at the unemployment office. Their system basically keeps dialing until it gets through and then calls you when there's an agent on the line. Saved me days of frustration. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km and their website is claimyr.com. Might be worth checking out if you're still stuck trying to reach Hawaii's office.

does hawaii tax unemployment at the same rate as cali?? cuz maybe u could just have them withhold extra to cover both lol

My cousin had FLORIDA unemployment but lives in California and she said she didn't pay any state taxes on it because Florida doesn't have income tax! But I think Hawaii does so you're probably not so lucky.

I'm dealing with this right now too, but with Washington unemployment. I talked to a tax professional and they explained that CA will give you credit for taxes paid to other states, but you have to file carefully. It's called the "Other State Tax Credit" on the CA return. Just keep track of how much Hawaii withholds.

One more important thing: make sure Hawaii has your correct mailing address so you'll receive your 1099-G form for tax filing. They'll send it in January, and you'll need it to properly report your unemployment income. If you don't receive it, you can usually request it online through Hawaii's unemployment portal.