Where does NYS Department of Labor unemployment go on 1040 tax return?
I got unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor last year and now I'm doing my taxes. I can't figure out where to put the unemployment income on my 1040 form. I have the 1099-G from NYS but I'm not sure which line it goes on. Do I need to report all of it or just the amount after taxes were taken out? I had taxes withheld but I'm still confused about the whole process.
9 comments


Oliver Schmidt
Unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor are fully taxable as ordinary income. On your 1040, the unemployment compensation goes on Schedule 1, Line 7 (Additional Income). The amount you report should be the total shown in Box 1 of your 1099-G form, not the net amount after withholding. If you had federal taxes withheld, that amount (Box 4 on the 1099-G) goes on your main 1040 as payments with your other withholdings.
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Amina Diop
•Thank you! So even though I had taxes taken out, I still report the full amount from Box 1? That seems weird but I guess it makes sense.
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Natasha Volkov
yeah i was confused about this too last year. my tax guy said unemployment is just like regular wages for tax purposes, you gotta pay income tax on all of it
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Javier Torres
One thing to watch out for - if you didn't have enough taxes withheld from your NYS Department of Labor benefits, you might owe money at tax time. Unemployment is taxed at your regular rate, but the withholding is often at a lower rate. I learned this the hard way and had to pay extra when I filed.
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Emma Wilson
•This is exactly what happened to me! I owed like $800 because the withholding wasn't enough. Now I know for next time to have more taken out or make quarterly payments.
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QuantumLeap
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor about your 1099-G or have questions about the amounts, I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach someone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I was able to get clarification on some discrepancies in my tax documents that way since calling directly was impossible.
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Amina Diop
•Interesting, I might check that out. I do have a question about one of the amounts on my 1099-G that doesn't match what I calculated.
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Malik Johnson
wait so if i got unemployment do i need to file taxes even if i didnt work? i thought you only filed if you made over a certain amount
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Oliver Schmidt
•Yes, you typically need to file if your unemployment benefits plus any other income exceed the filing threshold for your filing status. For 2024 taxes, that's usually around $13,850 for single filers. But you might want to file anyway if you had taxes withheld - you could get a refund.
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