Confused about PA UC income reporting for AirBnB side business - can't certify correctly

Yes, you SHOULD be reporting your AirBnB income each week, but the system can be frustrating. I had a similar situation with a small consulting business while on UC. For PA UC, you need to certify between Sunday and Friday each week (not just Sunday), but I've found the system works best on Sunday mornings when there's less traffic. Regarding the AirBnB income: when the system asks if you've worked during the week, select YES even though it's self-employment. When it asks for employer information, you should enter your own name as the employer since it's self-employment income. Make sure to report gross earnings before expenses for the week. The reason the screens might look different is that the system sometimes gets updated or may have different pathways depending on your previous answers. If you've already submitted some weeks incorrectly, you should call and request a backdate correction form.

the uc website is garbage lol. i had rental property incom 2 and they kept giving me diffrent screens every week. u can certify ANY day of the week not just sunday!!! sunday is just when the new week starts. i think friday is the deadline for the previous week

AirBnB income falls under 'sideline business' in PA UC regulations, which is treated differently than regular employment income. If your sideline business existed before you lost your main job, AND if you continue to perform the same amount of work/time on it as before, it might qualify under the sideline business exclusion. This means you may not have to report that income, which could explain why the system isn't consistently asking for it. However, this is something that absolutely requires examiner review to determine if you qualify for the exclusion. If you've been running the AirBnB before your layoff, make sure to gather documentation showing that: 1. The business existed before your unemployment began 2. You're spending the same amount of time on it as before 3. Revenue/bookings are similar to pre-unemployment levels The inconsistent screens are likely because the system isn't designed well for sideline business scenarios. Until an examiner makes a determination, I'd recommend documenting everything carefully - take screenshots of the certification process each week and keep detailed records of your AirBnB income.

The UC system is ABSOLUTE GARBAGE!!!! I had a similar situation with my Etsy shop income and ended up with a $5,800 overpayment notice because nobody at UC could give me a straight answer about how to report it properly. I spent MONTHS calling and never got through. System is RIGGED to confuse people then punish them for mistakes! Every rep tells you something different. One told me to report all income, another said only report after expenses, a third said don't report under a certain amount. It's like they WANT us to make mistakes so they can hit us with overpayments later.

have u tried using Claimyr? it got me through to a PA UC agent in like 15 mins when i was having problems with my claim. i had similar issues with reporting income from my photography side gig and needed to talk to someone asap. their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 totally worth it to actually talk to a real person instead of getting disconnected all day

My brother had an airbnb and also went on unemployment. He had to go through a whole determination process. They ended up deciding his airbnb was a "sideline business" since he had it before losing his job, and they didn't count the income against his benefits. But he had to wait almost 2 months for them to decide. Keep certifying while u wait!!

I work as an unemployment advocate (not for PA UC, but for a non-profit that helps people navigate the system). Here's what you need to know: 1. You MUST certify weekly between Sunday-Friday (not just Sunday). 2. For AirBnB income, PA has a specific "sideline business exclusion" that applies if: - You owned/operated it before becoming unemployed - You're not working more hours at it than before - It's not the cause of your unemployment 3. You should request a determination on your sideline business by submitting form UC-1487 "Questionnaire for Claimant Operating a Business." You can upload this through your dashboard or mail it. 4. Until you receive a determination, the safest approach is to report the income. If they later determine it's excluded, you'll receive any difference in benefits retroactively. 5. When reporting, use your NET income for the week (after business expenses). For AirBnB, this would be your booking revenue minus cleaning fees, supplies, etc. The inconsistent screens are a known issue with PA's system when dealing with self-employment. Document everything and keep detailed records of what you report each week.

Thank you all so much for the helpful responses! I've downloaded the UC-1487 form and will submit it today, along with documentation showing I've had the AirBnB business for 2 years before my layoff. I'll continue certifying weekly (now I know I don't have to wait for Sunday!) and will report the net income consistently while waiting for the determination. I'll also check out Claimyr to try getting through to an actual person who can maybe expedite the examiner review. This has been incredibly stressful, but I feel much better equipped now to handle it properly. Will update once I get a determination!

Good luck with getting this resolved! I went through a similar situation last year with my freelance graphic design work while on UC. Just wanted to add a couple things that helped me: When you submit the UC-1487 form, also include a cover letter explaining your situation clearly - mention that you've been operating the AirBnB for 2 years prior to unemployment and that your work hours/effort haven't increased. The examiners see tons of these cases and a clear summary helps. Also, if you do end up getting connected through Claimyr or finally get through to UC directly, ask them to add a note to your file that you're waiting for a sideline business determination. This can help prevent automated flags if there are any reporting inconsistencies while you're waiting. The waiting is definitely the worst part, but it sounds like you have a strong case for the sideline business exclusion given that you've been running it for 2 years. Keep us posted on how it goes!

I've been dealing with a similar situation with my side business (dog walking/pet sitting) while on UC. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track everything week by week - the date I certified, which screens I saw, what income I reported, and screenshots of each step. The inconsistent certification screens are SO frustrating, but I found that clearing my browser cache before certifying each week seemed to help get more consistent results. Also, I always certify early Sunday morning (like 6-7 AM) when the system is less busy. Just wanted to echo what others said about continuing to certify while waiting for your determination - I made the mistake of stopping for 3 weeks thinking I shouldn't certify until I knew how to report properly, and it took months to get those weeks reinstated. The system definitely punishes you for NOT certifying more than for reporting incorrectly (as long as you're making a good faith effort). Hope you get through to someone soon! The waiting is absolutely the worst part of this whole process.