Do you get taxes back from unemployment Washington ESD - confused about refunds

Yes, you can definitely get taxes back from unemployment if you had too much withheld! Since Washington has no state income tax, you only deal with federal taxes on your UI benefits. If you had 10% withheld and your actual tax rate is lower, you'll get a refund when you file your 1099-G.

The 10% withholding is usually pretty safe for most people. I always choose to have taxes taken out because I learned the hard way that you can owe a lot come tax time if you don't. Washington ESD makes it easy with the checkbox when you file your weekly claims.

I've been trying to figure out my tax situation too and honestly the Washington ESD phone system is impossible. Been calling for weeks about getting my 1099-G form and can never get through. Has anyone had luck actually reaching someone at Washington ESD about tax documents?

So unemployment benefits are taxed just like regular income then? That seems unfair since you're already in a tough financial situation when you're unemployed.

When I was on unemployment I chose not to have taxes withheld because I needed every dollar I could get at the time. Ended up owing about $800 when I filed but I set up a payment plan with the IRS. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Just to clarify for anyone reading this - you get your 1099-G from Washington ESD by the end of January, and that shows how much you received in benefits and how much tax was withheld. You use that to file your regular tax return.

this whole tax thing is so confusing!! i didn't have any taxes taken out and now im scared im gonna owe a ton. how do i even figure out how much i might owe??

I had the same question last year and spent forever trying to get someone at Washington ESD on the phone about it. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and got through to an agent who explained everything. Worth it just for peace of mind.

The tax withholding thing is actually pretty straightforward once you understand it. Most people who elect the 10% withholding end up getting at least some refund because their effective tax rate is usually lower than 10%. Especially if unemployment was your only income for part of the year.

Just remember that if you received unemployment benefits, you MUST report them on your tax return even if you don't get a 1099-G for some reason. The IRS gets copies of all the 1099-G forms so they know what you received.

I'm dealing with a similar situation but I also worked part-time while on unemployment. Makes the whole tax thing even more complicated with the partial benefits and working wages.

One thing people don't realize is that you can actually change your tax withholding election during your claim period. If you start with no withholding and realize you want taxes taken out, you can update that in your Washington ESD account.

For what it's worth, I tried calling Washington ESD about tax questions last month and actually got through using that Claimyr thing. Took about 15 minutes instead of the usual hours of busy signals. The agent was really helpful explaining how the withholding works.

Bottom line - if you had taxes withheld from your unemployment benefits, you'll probably get some of it back as a refund. If you didn't have taxes withheld, you'll probably owe some money when you file. Either way, you need to report all your UI benefits on your tax return.