Do you have to put unemployment on your taxes - NYS Department of Labor benefits question
Hey everyone, this is probably a dumb question but I'm doing my taxes for 2024 and I'm not sure if I need to report the unemployment benefits I got from NYS Department of Labor. I was on UI for about 6 months last year after getting laid off from my retail job. The total was around $8,400. My tax software is asking about unemployment compensation but I wasn't sure if that meant just federal or if NYS unemployment counts too. Did anyone else have to deal with this? I don't want to mess up my return.
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Alina Rosenthal
Yes, you absolutely need to report your NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits on your taxes. The IRS considers unemployment compensation as taxable income. You should have received a 1099-G form from NYS Department of Labor showing the total amount of benefits you received in 2024. Make sure to include the full amount on your federal return and your NY state return.
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Mohammad Khaled
•Oh wow, I didn't realize it was taxable income. I haven't gotten a 1099-G yet though. Should I be worried?
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Finnegan Gunn
yeah i had to pay taxes on mine too, it sucked because i thought unemployment was supposed to help you out not cost you more money later
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Miguel Harvey
The 1099-G forms are usually mailed out by late January, so you should receive yours soon if you haven't already. You can also access it online through your my.ny.gov account under the NYS Department of Labor section. When you filed your weekly claims, there was an option to have taxes withheld - did you choose that? If not, you might owe taxes on the full amount.
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Mohammad Khaled
•I think I said no to withholding because I needed the full amount to pay rent. Ugh, this is going to be expensive isn't it?
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Miguel Harvey
•It depends on your total income for the year and your tax bracket. The unemployment income gets added to any other income you had, so it could push you into a higher bracket or affect your refund.
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Ashley Simian
I'm in the same boat! Got unemployment for 4 months and totally forgot about the tax implications. Has anyone tried calling NYS Department of Labor to get their 1099-G reissued? I moved apartments and I'm worried it got sent to my old address.
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Miguel Harvey
•If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor for your 1099-G, I used a service called Claimyr last year when I couldn't get through their phone lines. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It helped me get connected to an actual agent who could help with my tax documents.
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Ashley Simian
•Thanks! I'll check that out. The regular NYS Department of Labor phone number has been impossible to get through on.
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Oliver Cheng
Just wanted to add that if you received unemployment benefits, you might also qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit depending on your total income. Don't forget to check for that when you're doing your taxes!
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Taylor To
The whole system is ridiculous if you ask me. They make you jump through hoops to get unemployment benefits when you're already struggling, then they tax you on it like it's some kind of bonus income. Meanwhile rich people get tax breaks for their investments. Sorry for the rant but this stuff makes me so angry.
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Ella Cofer
same here, got my 1099-G last week and now I owe like $900 in taxes ðŸ˜
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