NYS Department of Labor FUTA implications - does the federal unemployment tax act affect my weekly claims?
I've been filing weekly claims with NYS Department of Labor for about 6 weeks now and just heard someone mention the federal unemployment tax act at my job search workshop. I'm confused about whether this affects my benefits or if it's something my previous employer deals with. My claim status shows approved but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything important about federal requirements. Does anyone know if FUTA has any impact on our UI benefits or the job search requirements? I've been doing my 3 work search activities each week like required but wondering if there's additional federal paperwork I should know about.
10 comments


Nolan Carter
FUTA is paid by employers, not claimants. It's the Federal Unemployment Tax Act that funds the unemployment insurance system. Your employer paid FUTA taxes while you were working, which is part of what makes you eligible for NYS Department of Labor benefits now. You don't need to worry about it affecting your weekly claims - just keep doing your work search activities and filing on time.
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Daniel White
•Oh that makes sense! So it's already been handled by my employer and I just need to focus on my weekly certifications?
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Natalia Stone
yeah futa is employer side stuff, but honestly the NYS Department of Labor system is so confusing with all these acronyms. I kept getting worried about random things too when I was on unemployment last year
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Tasia Synder
The federal unemployment tax act creates the framework that allows states like New York to provide UI benefits. Your employer contributed to both FUTA and State Unemployment Tax (SUTA) during your employment. These taxes fund the trust fund that pays your benefits. As a claimant, your only responsibilities are filing weekly claims, meeting work search requirements, and reporting any income accurately. The NYS Department of Labor handles all the federal compliance on the administrative side.
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Selena Bautista
•This is super helpful! I was also wondering about this after seeing FUTA mentioned on some tax documents from my old job.
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Mohamed Anderson
I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor when I had similar questions about federal requirements. Ended up using claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent who explained everything. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows exactly how it works. Way easier than sitting on hold for hours just to ask about acronyms and policies.
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Daniel White
•Did they charge you anything for that service? I might need to call about something else soon.
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Mohamed Anderson
•There's a fee but honestly worth it when you need real answers fast instead of guessing about important stuff like federal requirements.
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Ellie Perry
Don't overthink it! FUTA is just background stuff that makes the whole unemployment system possible. Keep filing your weeklies and doing your job searches and you'll be fine.
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Morgan Washington
Thanks everyone for clarifying this! I was getting anxious about all these federal acronyms but it sounds like FUTA is just part of the system that makes our benefits possible in the first place. Good to know I can focus on what I'm already doing - my weekly certifications and job search activities. The NYS Department of Labor portal can be overwhelming with all the different terms and requirements, so it's reassuring to hear from others who've navigated this successfully.
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