I had similar confusion when I started my business last year. The key thing is keeping your federal and NYS Department of Labor filings synchronized. I use a payroll service now because trying to track both systems manually was a nightmare. They handle the quarterly deposits and annual filings for both federal and state. Worth the cost for peace of mind. If you need to contact NYS Department of Labor directly about your account setup, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through their phone lines quickly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that explains how it works.

Just remember that if you don't file the federal form on time, the penalties are harsh. I learned this the hard way my first year in business.

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED ANYWAY!! They deny people for the stupidest reasons just to save money. I know someone who got denied because they marked the wrong box on ONE weekly claim. ONE BOX! And then it took months to appeal and get it fixed. Meanwhile they're supposed to survive on what?? Nothing??

same worry here, filed last week and checking my account obsessively lol. at least we're all in this together!

ugh the unemployment system is so messed up... they make you jump through hoops even when you have legitimate reasons for leaving a toxic job. hopefully they approve your claim but be prepared for it to take forever

You should still file your claim right away even if you're not sure. The worst they can do is deny it, and then you can appeal if you have good documentation of the hostile work environment.

Same thing here - disqualified with no clear reason. In my case it was because I had worked part-time while collecting benefits months ago and apparently didn't report it correctly on my weekly claims. Even though I thought I was doing everything right. The adjudication process took forever and then boom - disqualified. Now I'm appealing but who knows how long that will take.

Most common reasons for disqualification: 1) employer disputed your separation reason, 2) earnings not reported correctly on weekly claims, 3) not meeting work search requirements, 4) not available for work. You need to request a copy of your claim file from NYS Department of Labor to see exactly what triggered the disqualification. Then you can prepare a proper appeal with supporting documents.

If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about your specific rate, I had luck using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of busy signals when I needed to verify my benefit calculation.

Just remember the pay rate is before taxes! They don't automatically take out federal taxes unless you request it, so you might owe at tax time if you don't plan for it.