NY unemployment wants my business income but I'm confused if I report gross or net sales?

You report your NET income (after expenses). I've been running my small photography business while on UI and went through the same confusion. An agent finally clarified that they want to know what you actually earned after business expenses. Keep detailed records of all your expenses though! They can audit you and you'll need to prove everything.

After my 9th attempt to reach someone at unemployment, I found claimyr.com and finally got through to an actual human who could help. Using their service was literally the only way I could talk to a live agent! They confirmed for me that you report NET income for self-employment, and they even helped me adjust previous certifications where I'd reported wrong. Talking to that agent got my benefits straightened out so fast! Check out their process here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

According to NYSDOL guidance, you report NET income. This comes directly from their handbook, page 27: "For self-employment, report net income (gross income minus business expenses)." I'm an accountant who works with many small business owners on unemployment. Here's what you need to know: - You report income in the week you PERFORM the work, not when you get paid - Keep detailed records of all income and expenses - Create a simple spreadsheet tracking each sale, materials cost, platform fees, shipping - Save receipts for all business expenses - Calculate your weekly net profit/loss from your Etsy shop - If you have a week with negative profit (loss), you report $0 for that week The system is incredibly confusing, but I've helped dozens of clients navigate this. If you need to speak with an agent to fix past certifications or get clarification, I recommend using claimyr.com - it's the most reliable way to get through to a live person at NYSDOL. Many of my clients have used it successfully.

Does anyone know if the way you report side income affects your total benefit amount or just that week? If I report my etsy sales as gross instead of net, am I screwing myself out of more money in the long run?

I'm in the exact same boat with my candle business! I've been reporting NET income (after deducting supplies, shipping, etsy fees) because that's what my tax preparer told me to do. She said unemployment income should be reported consistently with how you report on your taxes, which is net for self-employment. Made sense to me.

the ny unemployment website is trash and they never pick up the phone. i've been dealing with this same question for my freelance work. someone told me to just report the net income, but tbh who knows if thats right?? 🤷‍♀️

I asked the same question when I certified last month and the agent told me its NET income, not gross for self-employment. Makes sense since thats how we file taxes too. Good luck!

My cousin works for NY unemployment (not posting any identifying info) and confirmed it's NET income you should report. She said reporting gross is actually incorrect and could cause issues if you're audited later.

Did anyone else notice they updated the certification questions recently? They're still confusing af but at least they added that new help section. Still doesn't clearly answer this question tho 🙄

another day, another company promising to fix the unfixable unemployment system lol. Has anyone actually gotten their payments after using these supposedly magical services?

I had this EXACT issue with my side gig selling digital prints. After research and calling, it's 100% NET income you report. Think about it logically - if you spent $400 on materials and sold items for $500, you only actually made $100. That's what unemployment cares about - what actually went in your pocket.

This is why the system is so messed up!! Nobody gives a clear answer and then they wonder why people make mistakes. How are we supposed to know this stuff?? 😡

I run a small web design business and collect partial UI. The official answer is you report your NET income (revenue minus expenses). Document EVERYTHING though - if they audit you, they'll want to see that your expenses were legitimate business costs.

its def NET. my bro works at NY unemployment (he doesnt want me to say his name or anything) and he said ppl mess this up all the time. dont panic if youve been doing it wrong, just start doing it right now & if they catch it later you can explain the confusion

So I was about to throw my phone after 3 hours on hold when someone told me about claimyr.com and it connected me to an agent in less than an hour. The agent confirmed you report NET income for self-employment, and explained that gross income reporting is only for w2 type work. If you're struggling to get answers, seriously give it a try.

I've been dealing with the same confusion with my small pottery business! After reading through all these responses and doing my own research, it's definitely NET income you should report. I made the mistake of reporting gross for my first few certifications and was basically cheating myself out of benefits I was entitled to. The way I think about it now - if I sell $500 worth of pottery but spent $300 on clay, glazes, kiln firing, and shipping, I only actually "earned" $200 that week. That's what unemployment cares about - your actual profit, not your total sales. I finally got through to an agent last week (took forever calling directly) and she confirmed this is correct. She also mentioned that if you've been reporting wrong, you can usually get it corrected by explaining the confusion. The system really should make this clearer though - so many people are struggling with the same question! Keep detailed records of everything - receipts, materials costs, platform fees, shipping. If they ever audit you, you'll need to prove your expenses were legitimate business costs. Good luck with your Etsy shop!