Thanks everyone for all the info in this thread. Really cleared up a lot of confusion about self-employment and unemployment benefits. Definitely bookmarking this for future reference.

I went through this exact same situation with my freelance writing business earlier this year. The reality is tough - Washington state unemployment is strictly for W-2 employees who've had payroll taxes withheld. Even though we pay self-employment taxes, that doesn't count toward UI eligibility. I ended up having to pivot quickly to contract work that eventually led to a full-time position. It's frustrating but understanding the rules helped me focus my energy on finding actual solutions rather than chasing benefits I couldn't qualify for.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info. I feel much more prepared now to deal with this tax situation. Going to set aside some money from my remaining benefits and look into changing my withholding for the future.

I'm in a similar situation and really appreciate all the detailed info everyone has shared here. One thing I'm wondering about - if I start having taxes withheld now, will that help reduce what I owe for the benefits I already received earlier this year, or is it too late for that? I've received about $6,000 so far without any withholding and I'm worried I'm going to owe a lot come tax time.

This has been really educational. I had no idea the unemployment system was so complex. Seems like there are a lot of ways to accidentally disqualify yourself if you don't know the rules.

Thanks everyone for all the detailed info! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I had no idea about the base period calculation or that quitting voluntarily would disqualify me. Definitely going to use that benefit calculator on the ESD website to see where I stand, and I'll make sure to have a solid plan before making any job changes. Really appreciate this community sharing their experiences - saved me from potentially making a costly mistake!

Update us when you hear back! These threads are helpful for others going through the same thing.

Just wanted to add that Washington state's unemployment system is actually more generous than many other states when it comes to fired employees. The burden of proof is on the employer to show misconduct, not on you to prove you weren't at fault. Since you mentioned no formal write-ups or warnings, that works in your favor. Performance issues without progressive discipline rarely qualify as misconduct. File your claim ASAP - you can always appeal if they deny it, but you can't get back those weeks you didn't file for.

The system is definitely slow but hang in there. Most people do eventually get approved and the back pay helps make up for the delay. Just make sure you're responding to any requests quickly and filing your weekly claims on time.

Just wanted to add some hope for those still waiting - I got my first payment yesterday after exactly 3 weeks from filing my initial claim. I was laid off from my tech job in early January and filed the same day. The key things that seemed to help: I responded to every request within 24 hours, kept filing my weekly claims religiously even while waiting, and made sure all my employer information was accurate from the start. My claim showed "under review" for most of the time with no updates, then suddenly switched to "paid" on Tuesday and the money hit my account Wednesday morning via direct deposit. For those dealing with delays, it really seems like getting in touch with an agent (whether through regular calling or services like Claimyr) can help identify what's holding things up. The uncertainty is brutal but most people do get approved eventually!