Do I have to file taxes on unemployment benefits from Washington ESD?

Yes, unemployment benefits are taxable income at the federal level. You'll need to report the full amount shown on your 1099-G form from Washington ESD. The taxes withheld from your weekly claims might not cover everything you owe depending on your total income for the year.

I'm in the same boat. Got about $6,800 in benefits and had 10% withheld for taxes. Still trying to figure out if I need to file since it's my only income this year.

Just went through this nightmare myself. Had to call Washington ESD three times to get my 1099-G corrected because they had the wrong withholding amount listed. If you're having trouble reaching them by phone, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

Wait, I never got a 1099-G form and I received benefits last year. Should I be worried? I moved apartments in December so maybe it got lost in the mail?

The tax situation with unemployment is so confusing. I received benefits for about 8 months last year and had taxes withheld, but my tax preparer said I still owe $400 more. How is that even possible?

Pro tip: if you're still receiving benefits, you can change your withholding amount for future payments. I increased mine to 15% to avoid owing next year.

Don't forget that if you received unemployment benefits, you might qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit or other credits that could reduce what you owe. Make sure to check all available credits when filing.

I made the mistake of not having any taxes withheld from my unemployment thinking I wouldn't owe much. Ended up owing $1,200 at tax time. Learn from my mistake and always have something withheld.

Question about the 1099-G form - does it include all types of benefits or just regular UI? I received some standby benefits too and I'm not sure if those are reported separately.

The whole system is ridiculous if you ask me. You're already struggling financially and then they want to tax the money they give you to survive. Makes no sense.

Filed my taxes last week and got a $300 refund even though I received unemployment benefits. Had taxes withheld and my total income was low enough that I got money back. Don't assume you'll owe money.

For anyone still struggling to get through to Washington ESD about tax questions, I had success using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Got connected to an agent in about 10 minutes instead of the usual hours of busy signals.

Been doing taxes for 20 years and unemployment taxation hasn't changed much. It's always been taxable income. The key is making sure you have enough withheld or setting aside money for taxes if you don't.

Quick question - if I received benefits in 2024 but some payments came in January 2025, which year do I report them for? The dates on my 1099-G are confusing.

The bright side is that if you're back to work now, next year's taxes should be more straightforward without the unemployment complications. Hang in there everyone!

One last thing - if you can't afford to pay what you owe from unemployment taxes, the IRS has payment plan options. Don't just ignore it and hope it goes away.