Do you get a W2 from unemployment benefits - NYS Department of Labor tax forms confusion

You won't get a W2 from NYS Department of Labor for unemployment benefits. What you need to look for is a 1099-G form. This form shows how much you received in unemployment compensation during 2024. You should receive it by January 31st. If you haven't gotten it yet, you can download it from your my.ny.gov account under the tax documents section. Yes, unemployment benefits are taxable income and must be reported on your federal return.

same thing happened to me last year, i was looking everywhere for a w2 lol. the 1099-G should show up in your online account before they mail it to you

Important note - if you had taxes withheld from your weekly unemployment payments, that will also show on your 1099-G. Many people forget they elected to have taxes taken out when they first filed their claim with NYS Department of Labor. Check box 4 on the 1099-G to see if any federal taxes were withheld.

If you're having trouble accessing your 1099-G online or didn't receive it by mail, I had luck using Claimyr to get through to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. The agent was able to help me get my tax documents sorted out when the online system wasn't working properly. Much easier than trying to call the regular NYS Department of Labor number and getting disconnected.

Just want to add that even if you don't receive the 1099-G, you're still required to report all unemployment income. Keep track of your weekly benefit amounts if you can't get the form. The IRS gets copies of these forms so they'll know if you don't report the income.