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One more thing - if you do end up owing money after the appeal, make sure you understand whether it's fraud or non-fraud overpayment. Non-fraud doesn't have the same penalties and collection methods.
Will do! Thanks everyone for all the advice. Feeling much better about this now that I know what steps to take.
Definitely try that Claimyr service if you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD quickly. Made all the difference for me when I was dealing with my overpayment issue.
Final reminder for everyone - even if your unemployment benefits are excluded from federal taxes, they still count as income for purposes of other tax credits and deductions. So they might affect your Earned Income Credit, Child Tax Credit, etc.
Hope this helps everyone get their 2021 taxes sorted out. The unemployment tax situation that year was confusing for everyone, including tax professionals. Don't feel bad about being confused - just make sure you file correctly now that you have the right information.
Just went through this process myself and the hardest part was actually getting someone at Washington ESD on the phone to ask questions. If you need to talk to them, definitely consider using that Claimyr service - saved me so much frustration.
How much does something like that cost though? I'm always skeptical of services that charge to help with government stuff.
Bottom line for OP: 8 months of work should definitely qualify you for unemployment benefits in Washington. The system looks at your total wages over the base period, not how long you worked at any specific job. You should be all set if the unfortunate happens.
Edison Estevez
I remember when I first applied I was checking my account every single day multiple times LOL. The anxiety is real when you're waiting for that first payment.
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Aliyah Debovski
•Haha that's exactly what I'm doing! Good to know I'm not the only one.
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Edison Estevez
•We've all been there! Once you get into the routine it gets much less stressful.
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Holly Lascelles
Final tip - make sure you have all your job search activities documented from week one. Even though you're waiting for your first payment, Washington ESD still expects you to be looking for work and keeping records. Don't let that slide while you're waiting.
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Emily Nguyen-Smith
•How many job searches do we need to do per week? I keep seeing different numbers.
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Holly Lascelles
•It's 3 job search activities per week in Washington. Can be applications, networking, interviews, etc.
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