lol my brother did this and then complained to me for months when he got hit with a biggg tax bill. dont be like my brother.

Btw just to add one more thing - if you do decide not to withhold, you can make estimated quarterly tax payments to the IRS to avoid a penalty for underpayment. That's what I did when I was on unemployment. It's a bit more work but gives you more flexibility with your money throughout the year.

Update on my situation - I finally got through to DEO with that Claimyr service I mentioned. Turns out there was an earnings discrepancy between what I reported and what my employer reported for my last quarter. The agent was able to resolve it immediately once I explained that I had picked up extra shifts during those weeks. My benefits were released two days later, and I was able to catch up on rent. Don't give up - sometimes these issues can be resolved quickly once you actually get through to the right person.

I've been helping people with DEO issues for a while now, and here's my advice: 1. Try calling right when they open at 7:30am - the queue fills up within minutes 2. Check your CONNECT inbox daily for fact-finding questionnaires - sometimes they send these without notification 3. Make sure ALL your work search activities are logged properly 4. If you have an adjudication issue, be aware they're required by law to resolve it within 21 days, but they rarely meet this requirement 5. If you reach 8 weeks without resolution, contact the DEO Reemployment Assistance Help Center and specifically request an escalation Hang in there - the system is frustrating but persistence usually pays off eventually.

Just checking back - did your payment ever arrive? Mine finally came through this morning, so hopefully yours did too!

glad u got it! same thing happened to my cousin last month too btw. seems like they do this payment delay thing pretty often now

One more tip about backdating for self-employed claims: Be prepared to provide documentation showing you were unable to work during the period you're requesting backdating for. This might include cancelled contracts, emails showing lost business, or financial records showing a significant drop in income. Having this ready will speed up the determination process significantly. Keep in mind the maximum backdate period is usually limited to a specific timeframe from when you first filed your claim. The rep should be able to tell you the exact limit that applies to your situation.

my brother works for deo (not at call center) and he says the call center ppl get like 2 weeks training and then theyre on the phones. most of them dont know half the rules, especially for complicated situations like self employed claims and backdating stuff. thats why u get different answers depending who u talk to

my cousin works at DEO (not saying which office lol) and she told me they have a HUGE backlog of appeal payments from 2020-2023 that theyre still working through. something about the system not being set up to handle so many appeals after covid. you should def keep trying but also maybe file a complaint with the department of labor?? not sure if that will help but worth a shot

Update: I tried calling that technical support number that someone suggested (833-352-7759) and actually got through! The rep said my account was locked due to inactivity but she unlocked it for me. I can log in now, but my claim still shows no payment history for those weeks I was approved for. At least it's progress though. I'm going to try the Claimyr service to get through to the benefits department next. I'll also reach out to my state representative as suggested. Thanks everyone for the advice! Will keep you updated if I ever see that money.