Can you get Washington ESD unemployment if you owe taxes - claim approved or denied?

Your tax debt won't prevent you from getting Washington ESD unemployment benefits. UI eligibility is based on your work history, earnings, and reason for separation - not your tax status. I owed taxes when I filed my claim last year and it didn't affect my benefits at all.

Washington ESD and the IRS are completely separate systems. Your unemployment eligibility is determined by whether you worked enough quarters, earned enough wages, and were separated through no fault of your own. Tax debt doesn't factor into their decision at all.

I had the same worry when I filed but it turned out fine. The only thing that might happen is if you end up owing unemployment taxes later, but that's totally different from income taxes. Just file your claim as soon as possible since there's a waiting period.

Been dealing with Washington ESD for weeks trying to get through to someone about my claim status. If you need to actually talk to an agent, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through their phone system. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

The IRS can garnish unemployment benefits though if you owe a lot in back taxes. So while it won't stop you from getting approved, they might take some of your weekly benefit amount to pay down your tax debt.

I owed like $4000 in taxes when I got unemployment in 2023 and nothing happened with my benefits. Washington ESD doesn't care about your tax situation at all. They only care if you worked enough hours and got laid off or fired for the right reasons.

Just make sure when you file that you don't mention the tax debt anywhere on your application unless they specifically ask. There's no reason to volunteer that information since it's not relevant to your UI eligibility.

UGH the whole system is so confusing! I'm dealing with a similar situation but also have student loans in default. Everything feels connected when you owe money to the government but apparently unemployment is different???

The only time tax issues might matter is if Washington ESD thinks you were working under the table or not reporting income properly. But regular tax debt from previous years won't stop your claim.

File your claim TODAY if you haven't already. There's a one week waiting period before benefits start and you can't get benefits for weeks you don't file. Don't let worrying about taxes delay you from getting the help you need.

My brother owed like $6000 in taxes and got unemployment no problem. The only thing that happened was he chose to have taxes withheld from his weekly benefits so he wouldn't owe even more at the end of the year.

Washington state doesn't have income tax anyway so at least you only have to worry about federal taxes on your UI benefits. Some states tax unemployment which makes everything more complicated.

I've been trying to reach Washington ESD for two weeks about my adjudication issue and finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Got through to an actual person in like 20 minutes instead of being on hold forever. Definitely recommend it if you need to talk to someone about your claim.

The tax thing is definitely separate but just be aware that if you get a big unemployment payout, it might bump you into a higher tax bracket for this year. Plan accordingly so you're not surprised next April.

Bottom line - file your unemployment claim ASAP. Tax debt won't stop you from getting benefits and you need that income now more than you need to worry about what might happen later. Take care of immediate needs first.