NYS Department of Labor unemployment taxes paid - will I get a refund when filing returns?
I've been collecting unemployment benefits since last summer and had taxes withheld from my weekly payments through NYS Department of Labor. Now that tax season is here I'm wondering if I'll actually get any of that money back as a refund? I had about $180 taken out each month from my UI payments. My friend said unemployment income is taxable but you might still get refunds depending on your situation. Has anyone else dealt with this? I'm trying to figure out if I should expect money back or if I'll owe more.
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Matthew Sanchez
Yes, you can definitely get a refund on unemployment taxes! It depends on your total income for the year and how much was withheld. NYS Department of Labor sends you a 1099-G form showing exactly how much you received in benefits and how much tax was withheld. You'll use this when filing your return. If more was withheld than you actually owe based on your total income, you get the difference back as a refund.
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Admin_Masters
•That makes sense! I should be getting that 1099-G form soon then? I haven't received it yet but maybe it's still early.
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Ella Thompson
i got a big refund last year from my unemployment taxes. had like $2000 withheld and got most of it back because i didnt work much that year so my total income was low
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JacksonHarris
The 1099-G forms are usually available through your my.ny.gov account by the end of January. You can download it directly from the NYS Department of Labor portal instead of waiting for it in the mail. Just log into your unemployment account and look for tax documents section. Having that withholding actually puts you in a good position - better to have too much taken out than owe a big bill at tax time.
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Jeremiah Brown
•This is so helpful! I was worried I'd owe money. Sounds like the withholding probably covered me and then some.
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Royal_GM_Mark
Just remember unemployment is taxed as regular income at both federal and state level. But like others said, if you had a lower income year because of being unemployed, you might be in a lower tax bracket than usual. I actually got back almost everything that was withheld from my UI benefits when I filed. The key is that $180/month you mentioned - that's probably more than enough withholding for most people's unemployment income.
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Amelia Cartwright
ugh dealing with NYS Department of Labor phone lines is such a nightmare when you need to ask about tax stuff. I spent hours trying to get through about my 1099-G last year. If you need to actually talk to someone about your tax withholdings, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents faster. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to reach someone.
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Admin_Masters
•Thanks for the tip! I was wondering how people actually get through to ask questions about the tax forms.
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Chris King
Yeah you should get money back especially if unemployment was your main income source for part of the year. The withholding rate NYS Department of Labor uses is pretty conservative so most people get refunds rather than owing extra.
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