Reporting brokerage account withdrawals to EDD during weekly certification - different from 401K?

Thank you so much for clarifying! I did sell some stocks to get the cash, so there were some small gains (about $240). Should I report just that gain amount or nothing at all?

That sounds like a different situation. Your brother probably had significant capital gains that counted as income. The key distinction is between simply withdrawing previously invested funds (not income) versus realizing profits from investments (which can be income).

Have u tried Claimyr? It got me through to an EDD rep in less than 20 mins when I had questions about reporting income from side gigs. Saved my sanity after days of busy signals! They have this auto-dialing thing that keeps trying until it connects you. Check out their demo video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km or their website claimyr.com. Was totally worth it for getting a definitive answer straight from EDD.

Will do! Based on the responses here, I'm thinking I should just report the capital gains portion ($240) to be safe. But I'm also considering calling EDD directly to get an official answer.

so confusing their forms dont even ask about this specifically!! why make it so complicated???

You're right - their forms could be much clearer. The certification question about income is asking about any form of income, even if it doesn't fit neatly into their categories. Capital gains technically fall under "any income" even if there's no specific checkbox for it.

That's a great point. I'm definitely going to report the gains. Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I think I have a much clearer understanding now.

This is really helpful! I've been dealing with a similar situation and the distinction between "moving money around" vs "new income" makes so much sense. Did the EDD rep mention anything about how they define capital gains for unemployment purposes? Like, is it just short-term gains or both short and long-term? I'm worried about getting different answers from different reps when I call.

From what I understand, EDD treats all capital gains the same way for unemployment purposes - they don't distinguish between short-term and long-term gains like the IRS does for tax purposes. Any profit you made from selling investments during your certification period should be reported as income. The rep I spoke with said they're basically looking at "did you receive money you didn't have before?" If yes, report it. The tax implications (short vs long-term) are separate from the unemployment reporting requirements. But you're absolutely right about getting different answers from different reps - it's so frustrating! Maybe try calling multiple times if you get conflicting info, or ask to speak with a supervisor for a more definitive answer.

From what I understand, EDD doesn't distinguish between short-term and long-term capital gains for unemployment certification purposes - any realized gains from selling investments count as income during your benefit period. The tax treatment might be different (short vs long-term), but for EDD reporting, it's all considered income. I'd suggest when you call, ask specifically about "capital gains from stock sales" rather than getting into the short/long-term distinction - that seems to be more of a tax issue than an unemployment benefit issue. The key is just being upfront about any profits you made from selling investments while collecting benefits.

@Nathan Dell From what I recall, the EDD rep didn t'specifically distinguish between short-term vs long-term capital gains - they just said any gains from selling investments count as income that should be reported during certification. But you re'absolutely right about getting different answers from different reps! That s'why I d'suggest documenting the conversation if you do call. Maybe ask them to put their guidance in writing or at least get their rep ID number. Also, since this seems to be a common confusion, it might be worth checking if EDD has any written guidance on their website about investment income during unemployment.

From what I remember, the rep didn't distinguish between short-term and long-term capital gains - they just said any gains from selling investments should be reported as income during your certification period. But you're absolutely right to be concerned about getting different answers! I'd recommend documenting whatever answer you get (rep name, date, time) in case you need to reference it later. You could also try calling multiple times to see if you get consistent information, though I know that's frustrating with their wait times.

From what I understand, EDD treats all capital gains the same way regardless of whether they're short-term or long-term - any profit from selling investments counts as income for certification purposes. The tax implications might be different, but for unemployment reporting, a gain is a gain. You're smart to be concerned about getting different answers from different reps though - that's definitely a real issue with EDD! Maybe try calling a couple times to see if you get consistent answers, or better yet, try to get any guidance in writing if possible. @Nathan Dell have you considered documenting your trades with dates and amounts just in case you need to show exactly what was gains vs principal later?

From what I understand, EDD doesn't distinguish between short-term and long-term capital gains for reporting purposes - any profit from selling investments during your certification period should be reported as income. The tax implications might be different (short-term vs long-term rates), but for unemployment certification, a gain is a gain. I'd suggest being consistent and reporting all capital gains to avoid any issues. The key is just being transparent about any new money earned while collecting benefits.

Great question! When I spoke with the EDD rep, they didn't distinguish between short-term vs long-term capital gains - they said ANY gains realized during the certification period should be reported as income. The tax treatment might be different, but for EDD purposes, a gain is a gain. I totally get your concern about getting different answers though - that's why I'd recommend getting the rep's name and maybe even asking them to email you a summary of what they told you. That way you have documentation if there's ever a question later.

From what I understand, EDD doesn't distinguish between short-term and long-term capital gains for unemployment reporting purposes - any realized gains count as income regardless of how long you held the investment. The tax treatment might be different, but for UI certification, a gain is a gain. That said, you're absolutely right about getting different answers from different reps! I've heard so many conflicting stories. If you do call, maybe try to get the rep's name and reference number so you have something to fall back on if questions come up later. @Nathan Dell have you considered documenting your trades with dates and amounts just in case you need to show exactly what was principal vs. gains?

Great question! The rep I spoke with didn't distinguish between short-term and long-term capital gains - they said ANY capital gains count as income for EDD purposes, regardless of how long you held the investment. The key is that it's considered "new money" you earned during your benefit period. You're smart to be concerned about getting different answers from different reps though - that's definitely a real issue with EDD. If you do call, I'd suggest asking them to reference the specific policy or regulation so you have something concrete to point to if there's ever a question later.

From what I understand, EDD doesn't distinguish between short-term and long-term capital gains for reporting purposes - any realized gains count as income during your certification period. The tax treatment might be different, but for unemployment certification, it's all just "income." That said, you're absolutely right about getting different answers from different reps! I'd recommend documenting whoever you speak with (get their name/ID) and maybe even asking them to email you the guidance if possible. That way you have something to reference if there are any issues later.

From what I understand, EDD doesn't distinguish between short-term and long-term capital gains for certification purposes - any realized gains count as income during your claim period. The tax implications might be different, but for unemployment reporting, it's all treated the same. I've heard that different reps can give varying advice though, so if you do call, maybe ask to speak with someone who specializes in income reporting questions. Also, document who you spoke with and when in case you need to reference it later!

@Nathan Dell From what I understand, EDD treats both short-term and long-term capital gains as reportable income during your certification period. The tax classification short (vs long-term matters) for IRS purposes, but for EDD it s'all considered income that needs to be reported. The rep I spoke with didn t'distinguish between the two types - they just said any profit from selling investments counts as income. I d'recommend keeping detailed records of your trades and the gains/losses so you can report accurately. It s'definitely frustrating how different reps can give varying answers, but the general consensus seems to be: report any gains, regardless of how they re'classified for tax purposes.

From what I remember, the EDD rep didn't distinguish between short-term and long-term capital gains - they just said any gains from selling investments should be reported as income during your certification period. But you're absolutely right about getting different answers from different reps! That's why I'd recommend documenting whoever you talk to (get their name/ID if possible) and maybe even following up with a written inquiry through your EDD account if you want something in writing. The key thing is that EDD considers any profit from investment sales as income, regardless of how it's classified for tax purposes.

From what I understand, the EDD doesn't distinguish between short-term and long-term capital gains for unemployment reporting purposes - any realized gains count as income during your certification period. The rep I spoke with didn't get into those specifics, but they emphasized that it's the timing that matters most. If you sold investments and realized gains during the week you're certifying for, report those gains regardless of how long you held the investment. You're right to be concerned about getting different answers from different reps though - that's unfortunately pretty common with EDD. Maybe try calling a few times to see if you get consistent information, or consider using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier to get through faster.

From what I understand, EDD treats both short-term and long-term capital gains as income for certification purposes - they don't distinguish between the two like the IRS does for tax rates. Any profit you make from selling investments during your benefit period should be reported. The rep I spoke with didn't get into the technical details, but they emphasized that "any money earned" includes investment gains regardless of how long you held the asset. You're right to be concerned about getting different answers though - EDD reps can be inconsistent. If you do call, maybe try to get the rep's name/ID number and ask them to note your case file with their guidance just in case you need to reference it later.

@Nathan Dell From my understanding, EDD doesn t'distinguish between short-term and long-term capital gains for unemployment reporting purposes - any realized gains count as income regardless of how long you held the investment. The tax treatment might be different short (vs long-term ,)but for EDD certification, gains are gains. That said, you re'absolutely right about getting different answers from different reps! I ve'heard so many conflicting stories. If you do call, maybe ask to speak with a supervisor or get the answer in writing somehow. The consistency issue with EDD phone reps is real and frustrating.