Do unemployment benefits count as income for taxes and other programs?
I'm getting confused about whether my NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits count as income. I'm filling out some paperwork for my apartment lease renewal and they're asking about all sources of income. Do I need to include my weekly UI payments? Also what about for taxes - do I owe taxes on unemployment benefits? I've been getting $420 a week since September and want to make sure I'm handling everything correctly.
8 comments
Join the conversation
Brooklyn Foley
Yes, unemployment benefits are considered taxable income by both federal and state. You should receive a 1099-G form from NYS Department of Labor showing the total amount you received for the year. For your lease paperwork, most landlords do accept UI benefits as qualifying income since it's regular and documented.
0 coins
Elijah Knight
•Thanks! So I should include the $420 weekly amount on my lease application then. Do you know if they typically count the full amount or discount it since it's temporary?
0 coins
Jay Lincoln
be careful with taxes!! i got hit with a huge tax bill last year because i didnt realize unemployment was taxable. you can have taxes withheld from your weekly payments if you want - there's an option in your my.ny.gov account
0 coins
Jessica Suarez
For lease applications, different landlords handle UI income differently. Some count 100% of it, others want to see additional income sources since unemployment is temporary. I'd suggest being upfront with your landlord about your situation. The 1099-G will show your total benefits received - mine was around $18,000 last year and I owed about $2,700 in taxes on it.
0 coins
Marcus Williams
•Wow $2,700 in taxes is a lot! I wish someone had told me this when I first started claiming. I thought since I was unemployed I wouldn't owe anything.
0 coins
Lily Young
I had issues getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my 1099-G form. Kept getting busy signals for weeks. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that gets you connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made it so much easier to get my tax questions answered directly.
0 coins
Elijah Knight
•That's really helpful! I've been trying to call them about my account but can never get through. I'll check out that service.
0 coins
Kennedy Morrison
just want to add that if youre getting any other government benefits like SNAP or medicaid you definitely need to report your UI income to them too. they consider it income for eligibility purposes
0 coins