wait so if im doing uber and making like $200 a week i can still get unemployment money on top of that?? that seems too good to be true

This is really valuable information everyone! I'm in a similar boat - got furloughed from my hotel job and started doing Instacart to make ends meet. One thing I learned from my claim is that you report earnings for the week you actually did the work, not when you got paid. So if you worked Monday-Sunday but didn't get paid until the following Tuesday, you still report those earnings for the week you worked. Also, keep detailed records of your gig work hours and earnings because NYS Department of Labor might ask for documentation later. The key is total transparency - they'd rather you report everything honestly than try to figure it out later and potentially face penalties.

The whole system is designed to give you as little as possible while making it confusing AF to understand why. They use all these complicated formulas and base periods when they could just say 'we're giving you the minimum we can get away with legally

At least you got approved! I'm still waiting for my claim to get out of adjudication after 5 weeks. $504 sounds pretty good right about now.

Just a heads up - if you're running QB Desktop 2022 or older, you might need to manually download the latest tax tables to get the correct 2025 wage base limits. The automatic updates sometimes don't include all the state-specific changes for unemployment insurance.

I work in payroll for a small business in NY and we had this exact same issue earlier this year. After updating the wage base in QB, make sure you also run a liability adjustment report to see if any employees were incorrectly charged UI tax on wages above $12,800. You might need to process manual adjustments for those employees and file amended returns with NYS Department of Labor if the overage was significant. Also, double-check that your company's SUI rate is correct in the system - sometimes QB doesn't pull the right rate from your Department of Labor account.

my roommate just said we can also go to the unemployment office in person and they'll print the tax forms right there! might be faster than waiting for mail

I went through something similar last year! The NY unemployment system is absolutely terrible. What finally worked for me was going to the local DOL office in person - they were able to print my 1099-G immediately. I'd recommend calling ahead to confirm they can help with tax documents and what ID you need to bring. Also, if you do end up needing to file an extension, don't stress too much - the IRS is pretty understanding about delays caused by government agency issues. Just make sure to document all your attempts to get the forms in case you need to explain the delay later.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO SCREW US OVER!! They make the rules so complicated on purpose so we mess up and then they can claw back money later. I've been fighting an overpayment for 8 months now and they still haven't responded to my appeal.

Just want to add that you should also be aware of the work search requirements when doing freelance work. Even if you're earning income that reduces your benefits, you still need to complete your required work search activities each week unless that freelance work qualifies as "work" under their guidelines. I learned this the hard way when I was doing some contract work - I thought since I was "working" I didn't need to do job searches, but NYS DOL disagreed and I got a penalty. The rules around what counts as acceptable work search activity versus actual work can be tricky, so definitely clarify this if you move forward with the freelance opportunity.