


Ask the community...
One more thing - if you're married and filing jointly, your unemployment benefits are still unearned income even if your spouse has earned income from working. Just in case anyone was wondering about that scenario.
Final summary for anyone scrolling through: Washington ESD unemployment benefits = unearned taxable income. Not earned income. This affects various programs and tax credits but you still need to report it as income where required.
One last tip - keep detailed records of all your earnings and hours worked. If Washington ESD ever questions your reported earnings, you'll want to have documentation to back up what you reported.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I feel much more confident about how partial benefits work now. Going to make sure I report my earnings correctly going forward.
One last piece of advice - if you do apply and get approved, make sure you understand the weekly claim requirements. You'll need to file every week and report any work or earnings. Missing a week can cause delays in your benefits.
This has been a really helpful thread. I was in a similar situation and wasn't sure about applying. Now I feel confident enough to give it a try. Thanks everyone!
Zoe Kyriakidou
The whole tax situation with unemployment is just another stress on top of already being unemployed. At least Washington doesn't have state income tax like some other states.
0 coins
Emma Davis
•Yeah, I'm grateful for that. Dealing with federal taxes is enough complexity.
0 coins
Jamal Brown
•True, could be worse. Some states tax unemployment benefits on top of federal taxes.
0 coins
Mei Zhang
Bottom line: have the 10% federal withholding taken out unless you really need every dollar right now. It's much easier than dealing with a big tax bill later, especially when you might still be unemployed during tax season.
0 coins
Emma Davis
•This is exactly the advice I needed. I'm going to set up the withholding this week. Thanks everyone for all the helpful information!
0 coins
Liam McConnell
•Good choice! You'll thank yourself next April when you don't owe a huge chunk to the IRS.
0 coins