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I'm currently at day 4 since filing and this thread is exactly what I needed to find! I was already starting to stress about not seeing any approval notifications and was confused about what the "active" status actually meant. Reading everyone's experiences about the 2-3 week timeline and the importance of looking for the Monetary Determination letter has completely changed my understanding of the process. I had no idea I needed to check multiple sections - I've only been looking at the main account page. Going to start checking messages, Document Repository, and correspondence daily now. It's so comforting to see all the recent success stories and know that keeping up with weekly certifications throughout the wait is the key. Thank you everyone for sharing your timelines and tips - makes this whole waiting period feel much less overwhelming when you know what to expect!
You're getting such a head start by finding this thread at day 4! I wish I had found this community earlier in my waiting period. Since you're just starting out, you have the advantage of knowing exactly what to look for and where to check from the beginning. The daily routine of checking all three sections (messages, Document Repository, correspondence) while keeping up with weekly certifications will serve you well. Based on all the timelines shared here, you've got about 1-2 weeks left before you should see your Monetary Determination letter. The waiting definitely tests your patience, but knowing what to expect makes it so much more manageable. You're in good company with all of us going through this same process!
I'm at day 12 since filing and this thread has been absolutely essential for maintaining my sanity! Before finding this discussion, I was refreshing my account constantly and getting more anxious by the day seeing that $0 payment history. The clarification about "active" status vs actual approval through the Monetary Determination letter is information that should honestly be front and center on the DOL website - it's so misleading otherwise! I've been religiously doing my weekly certifications but was starting to second-guess myself. Now I'm checking messages, Document Repository, AND correspondence sections daily based on everyone's advice here. The consistent 2-3 week timeline from multiple success stories gives me realistic expectations instead of spiraling into worry. Seeing recent approvals from Sean at day 15, Kaylee at day 16, and Malik at day 14 makes me feel like I'm right in that final stretch. Thank you to this entire community for turning what felt like an impossible waiting game into something manageable with clear guidance and mutual support!
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I'm also a freelancer dealing with this exact situation! Reading through everyone's responses, it sounds like the consensus is to submit multiple types of documentation together rather than relying on PayPal statements alone. I've been putting together a package with my PayPal business transaction reports, last year's Schedule C, the few 1099s I do have, and some client invoices. One thing I'm wondering - has anyone had success submitting a brief cover letter explaining their documentation? I'm thinking of writing something short that explains why I use PayPal for most payments and how the documents all connect to show my self-employment income. Thanks for all the helpful advice in this thread!
A cover letter is definitely a good idea! I included one when I submitted my documentation and I think it really helped. Keep it brief but explain your situation - that you're a freelancer who primarily receives payments through PayPal, and then list what documents you're including and how they support each other. Something like "Enclosed you'll find my PayPal business transaction reports showing client payments, my 2024 Schedule C demonstrating reported income, available 1099 forms, and sample client invoices." It shows you're organized and makes their job easier. The key is helping them quickly understand your self-employment situation rather than making them piece it together from random documents.
I went through this exact process last year as a freelance photographer! PayPal statements definitely work, but like others mentioned, you need to be strategic about how you present them. What really helped me was organizing everything chronologically and creating a simple Excel sheet that showed: Client Name | Service Date | PayPal Transaction ID | Amount | Tax Year Reported. I also highlighted all the business transactions in my PayPal CSV download and removed personal stuff completely. NYSDOL processed my claim pretty quickly once they had clean, organized documentation. Pro tip: if you have repeat clients, include a note showing the ongoing business relationship - it helps establish you as a legitimate freelancer rather than someone doing occasional odd jobs. The combination of PayPal records + Schedule C + any invoices you have should definitely be sufficient!
This is such a comprehensive approach, Yara! I love the idea of creating that Excel summary with all the key details - Client Name, Service Date, Transaction ID, Amount, and Tax Year Reported. That sounds like it would make it super easy for NYSDOL to verify everything quickly. I'm definitely going to set up a spreadsheet like that before submitting my documentation. The tip about highlighting repeat clients to show ongoing business relationships is brilliant too - I have several clients I've worked with regularly over the past year, so that should help establish my freelance legitimacy. Thanks for sharing such detailed advice from your successful experience!
Yara, this is incredibly helpful! I'm actually in the exact same situation as Emma - freelance graphic designer with mostly PayPal payments. Your Excel spreadsheet idea with the Transaction ID column is genius - I never thought about including that level of detail but it probably makes verification so much easier for them. Question: when you say you "removed personal stuff completely" from the PayPal CSV, did you literally delete those rows or just create a separate clean file with only business transactions? I'm worried about accidentally removing something important or making it look like I'm hiding transactions. Also, roughly how many months of PayPal history did you submit? Thanks for sharing your success story - it's giving me confidence that this process can actually work smoothly with proper organization!
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I'm also in a very similar situation - lost my job in mid-October and have been putting off filing for almost 3.5 months now. Reading through everyone's experiences here is honestly such a weight off my shoulders! I kept thinking there must be some kind of deadline or penalty for waiting so long, but it sounds like that's not the case at all. Like so many others here, I was convinced I'd find something quickly and didn't want to "take benefits I didn't need." The job market has been way tougher than I expected though. What really resonates with me is hearing from people who waited 4-5 months and still got approved smoothly - it makes me feel so much better about finally taking this step. I'm definitely going to file this week after seeing how supportive everyone's experiences have been. Thank you all for sharing your stories so openly - it's exactly what I needed to hear to get over my anxiety about this!
I'm so glad you found this thread as helpful as I did! It's incredible how many of us have been in almost the exact same situation - lost jobs in October/November and spent months putting off filing for the same reasons. Reading everyone's experiences really shows how normal and understandable this delay actually is. The job market has definitely been more challenging than any of us expected when we first became unemployed. What gives me the most confidence is seeing people who waited even longer than us (like 5+ months) and still had smooth application processes. It really drives home that NYS focuses on whether you're eligible, not on the timing of when you apply. I'm planning to file this week too after being inspired by all these success stories. We've both been dealing with this uncertainty long enough - time to get the support we've earned through our work history! Best of luck with your application, and thanks for adding your voice to this encouraging discussion.
I'm also dealing with this exact situation and finding this thread at the perfect time! I lost my job in late September due to company downsizing and it's now been almost 4 months. I kept telling myself I'd find something quickly and didn't want to file "unnecessarily," but the job search has been way more challenging than I anticipated. Reading everyone's experiences here - especially those who waited 4-5 months and still got approved without any issues - is giving me the confidence I needed to finally move forward. It's so reassuring to know that NYS doesn't penalize you for waiting and that this delay is actually really common. I think I've been overthinking the whole process and letting anxiety hold me back when I should have just filed months ago. The point about having paid into this system through our taxes really resonates with me too - this is exactly what unemployment benefits are designed for. I'm going to gather all my employment documents this weekend and file early next week. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories so openly - it's made such a difference in helping me realize I'm not alone in this situation and that it's going to be okay!
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This thread has been so helpful! I'm in a similar situation - worked in NY but live in Connecticut, been collecting NY unemployment since December. Reading everyone's experiences has made it crystal clear that I need to file the NY IT-203 non-resident return. One question I haven't seen addressed - does the amount of time you worked in NY during the qualifying period matter for tax purposes? I only worked in NY for about 8 months before getting laid off, but my unemployment claim is based on those NY wages. I'm assuming I still owe NY state tax on the full unemployment amount regardless of how long I worked there, but wanted to double-check. Also want to echo what others said about the NY websites being confusing - I spent hours trying to find clear information before finding this discussion. Really appreciate everyone sharing their real-world experiences, especially the specific form numbers and publication references. Makes me feel much more confident about handling this correctly!
Great question! The duration you worked in NY doesn't matter for tax purposes - if your unemployment benefits are being paid by NY based on those NY wages, you owe NY state tax on the full amount regardless of whether you worked there 8 months or 8 years. The key factor is that NY is the source of the benefits, not how long you accumulated the qualifying wages. So yes, you'd file the IT-203 and pay NY tax on your entire unemployment compensation. The good news is Connecticut will give you a credit for the NY taxes paid to avoid double taxation, just like the NJ and PA folks mentioned earlier!
I'm going through this exact same situation right now - living in New Jersey but receiving NY unemployment benefits since getting laid off in January. After reading through all these responses, I'm relieved to finally have a clear answer! It sounds like the consensus is definitely that I need to file the NY IT-203 non-resident return and pay NY state tax on the unemployment benefits, then claim a credit on my NJ return to avoid double taxation. The specific references to NY Tax Law Section 631 and Publication 140 are super helpful - I'll definitely look those up. One thing I'm curious about - for those who have been through this process, roughly how long did it take to get your NY refund (if any) processed? I'm wondering if I should file NY first and wait for that to be processed before filing my NJ return, or if it's okay to file both at the same time. Also really appreciate the tip about Claimyr for getting through to the tax department - I've been trying to call for weeks with no luck. After reading about that audit situation, I definitely want to make sure I handle this correctly from the start. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!
Sayid Hassan
I just went through this process a few months ago when I lost my retail job. Here's what worked for me: file your initial claim online immediately - don't wait even a day. The sooner you file, the sooner your benefit year starts. For weekly claims, I always file on Sunday afternoons around 2-3pm when the system seems most stable. You'll be claiming benefits for the week that just ended, so your first weekly claim would be filed the Sunday after your first full week of unemployment. One tip - keep detailed records of your job search activities from day one because they'll ask for that info when you certify. The whole process is less scary than it seems once you get started!
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Liam O'Sullivan
•This is really helpful, thank you! I was wondering about the job search records - do you remember what specific information they wanted? Like just company names and dates, or more detailed info about each application?
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Quinn Herbert
Just want to echo what everyone else is saying - file your initial claim TODAY! I made the mistake of waiting thinking there was some cooling off period, but there isn't. You're already behind by a day since you got laid off yesterday. For weekly claims, I've found Tuesday evenings work well too if Sunday doesn't work for your schedule. The system gives you that whole week window (Sunday through Saturday) so you have flexibility. One thing I wish someone had told me - make sure you have your employer's information handy when you file, including their unemployment insurance account number if you have it (might be on your pay stub). It speeds up the process significantly.
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