Got my ny unemployment approval letter showing $384 weekly benefit - is this with taxes taken out?

That's your pre-tax amount. When you certify each week, you'll have the option to withhold taxes (10% federal, 2.5% state I think). If you select yes for tax withholding, you'll get about $336 deposited. I recommend doing the withholding so you dont owe a bunch at tax time.

After spending hours trying to reach someone, I found a way to actually talk to a human at unemployment. Used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me a callback from an actual agent without waiting on hold forever. Talking to the agent got my $ unlocked so fast and they explained all the tax withholding stuff too. Check out this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

the $384 is before taxes. if you choose to have taxes taken out when you certify (recommended!) you'll get less. I think I get about $337 after taxes from a simlar benefit amount

I had almost exact same sitaution last month! The "net" on the letter is confusing af. It just means your final benefit amount BEFORE any deductions. You still need to decide about tax withholding later when you do your weekly certifications.

Unpopular opinion but I chose NOT to have taxes withheld. I'd rather have the full amount now when I need it and deal with taxes later. Just set aside some money each week if you can.

Trying to reach someone at NY unemployment is literally impossible these days... I've been trying for weeks and can't get through. Absolute sh*tshow. 🤬

How long did it take you to get your determination letter? I applied 3 weeks ago and haven't heard anything!

Here's what the NY unemployment system doesn't tell you clearly: 1. The amount in your determination letter ($384) is your GROSS weekly benefit amount 2. If you choose to withhold taxes, they take about 12.5% total (fed+state) 3. Your actual deposit will be lower if you withhold 4. You make this choice when you do your weekly certifications 5. The "net" terminology is confusing - it just means your final calculated benefit amount I've been through this whole process twice now, and the second time was much less confusing. If you have specific questions, your best bet is to actually speak with an agent. I couldn't get through on the phone for weeks, so I tried claimyr.com which got me connected to an agent who cleared everything up. Their system automatically redials and waits on hold, then calls you when they get a real person. Don't be surprised if your actual payment amount ends up being different from what you calculated - their formula is complex and looks at multiple quarters of earnings.

Does anyone know if theres a way to calculate how much you should get? My letter said $407 but i thought it would be more based on what I was making

the ny unemployment system is a disaster. i spent 6 days calling before i gave up and used a service that got me through. best thing i ever did.

Make SURE you select the right thing when you certify each week! If you select incorrectly about whether you want taxes withheld, you can't change it until the following week. Made that mistake and had to wait for my next certification to fix it.

On a related note, anyone else notice their payment is always delayed on holiday weeks? So annoying

Lol welcome to the wonderful world of NY unemployment where nothing makes sense and getting answers is impossible. But for real, that's your pre-tax amount and you'll choose whether to withhold or not when you certify weekly.

I've found that the terms the unemployment office uses are super confusing. "Net" should mean after taxes, but in this case they're using it to mean your final calculated benefit amount before any deductions. Very misleading!

I remember getting my paper and being like wtf is this? But yes, $384 is your weekly benefit amount before taxes. You'll see the after-tax amount once you start certifying and choose the tax withholding option.

you're lucky you even got your letter tbh. they "lost" mine twice and i had to have them resend it.

has anyone actually tried to calculate if the amount theyre giving you is correct? i did the math based on my past earnings and the ny unemployment calculator and my amount was off by like $50

Pro tip: Whatever your benefit amount is, immediately set aside the tax amount (12.5%) in a separate account if you choose not to have taxes withheld. You'll thank yourself next April!

My letter said I was getting $410 but when I logged into my account online it showed $425. When I finally got through to someone they fixed it and said there was a calculation error. You might want to double-check your online account too.

for anyone who can't get through to unemployment by phone (which is basically everyone lol) - seriously try claimyr.com - it works and gets you through to an actual person