How many exemptions should I claim for Washington ESD unemployment withholding?
I'm setting up my unemployment claim and got to the part about tax withholding. It's asking how many exemptions I should claim. I have no idea what to put here. I'm single, no kids, rent an apartment. Should I claim 0, 1, or something else? I don't want to owe a bunch of money at tax time but also don't want too much taken out. What did everyone else put for their Washington ESD claim?
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Connor O'Neill
If you're single with no dependents, claiming 1 exemption is usually the safe choice. That way you won't owe too much in taxes but won't get a huge refund either. You can always adjust it later if needed through your online account.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Thanks! So 1 is pretty standard then? I was worried about picking the wrong number.
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LunarEclipse
•Yeah 1 is what I used when I was single. Better to have a little taken out than get hit with a big tax bill later.
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Yara Khalil
wait you can change this later?? I put 0 because I was scared of owing money but now I'm getting barely anything in my weekly payments
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Connor O'Neill
•Yes you can change it! Log into your Washington ESD account and look for tax withholding options. You can update it anytime.
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Yara Khalil
•omg thank you!! I've been living on like $200 a week when I should be getting way more
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Keisha Brown
Just so you know, Washington ESD will withhold 10% for federal taxes if you choose withholding. The exemptions help determine exactly how much. If you're having trouble navigating the system or need to talk to someone about your specific situation, I had good luck with Claimyr.com - they help you actually get through to Washington ESD agents on the phone. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Good to know about the 10%. I might check out that Claimyr thing if I run into issues.
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Paolo Esposito
•Never heard of Claimyr but anything that helps get through to Washington ESD sounds useful. Their phone lines are impossible.
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Amina Toure
I claimed 2 exemptions because I have a kid and it worked out fine. You really just need to think about your overall tax situation for the year.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Makes sense. Since I don't have kids I'll probably stick with 1 like the others suggested.
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Oliver Weber
•Same here, 2 with one dependent worked perfectly. Got a small refund at tax time.
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FireflyDreams
honestly i never understood this stuff either. i just picked whatever and hoped for the best lol. taxes are confusing
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Connor O'Neill
•It's definitely confusing at first! The good news is it's not permanent and you can always adjust.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•That's reassuring that I can change it if needed. Takes some pressure off.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
The Washington ESD system should really explain this better. I had to google what exemptions even meant when I was filling out my claim.
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Keisha Brown
•Totally agree. The whole UI system could use better explanations for people who aren't tax experts.
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Javier Morales
•Right? They assume everyone knows this stuff already. Very user-unfriendly.
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Emma Anderson
Pro tip: if you usually get a big tax refund when you file, consider claiming more exemptions so less gets withheld from your unemployment. Why give the government an interest-free loan?
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Zainab Ibrahim
•That's a good point. I usually do get a refund so maybe I should consider that.
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Malik Thompson
•This is smart advice. I always try to break even at tax time rather than getting a huge refund.
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Isabella Ferreira
For what it's worth, I used Claimyr when I needed to talk to someone about changing my withholding amount. Saved me hours of trying to call Washington ESD directly. Worth every penny when you actually need to reach a human.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Good to know it actually works. I'll keep it in mind if I need help with anything else.
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CosmicVoyager
•I've been thinking about trying it too. The wait times for Washington ESD are brutal.
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Ravi Kapoor
Whatever you do, don't claim 0 exemptions unless you really want maximum withholding. I made that mistake and barely had enough to live on.
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Yara Khalil
•Ugh yeah that's exactly what happened to me. Lesson learned.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Definitely going with 1 then. Thanks for the warning!
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Freya Nielsen
The general rule is claim the same number of exemptions you'd claim on a regular job. So if you're single with no kids, that's usually 1.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•That makes perfect sense. I'll use the same as I would for a regular paycheck.
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Omar Mahmoud
•Exactly. Keep it simple and consistent with what you normally do.
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Chloe Harris
I'm in the same boat and was totally confused by this. Thanks for asking because I was too embarrassed to admit I didn't know what I was doing.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•No need to be embarrassed! I'm glad I asked too because everyone's been really helpful.
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Connor O'Neill
•There are no stupid questions when it comes to taxes and unemployment. Better to ask than guess wrong.
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Diego Vargas
Just remember you can always choose no withholding at all and just pay quarterly taxes if you prefer. Some people like having more control that way.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•I think I'd rather have it automatically withheld. Less chance of me forgetting to save money for taxes.
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NeonNinja
•Smart choice. Automatic withholding is definitely the safer route for most people.
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Anastasia Popov
One more vote for claiming 1 exemption if you're single. It's the most common choice and usually works out well tax-wise.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Perfect, that seems to be the consensus. I feel much more confident about my choice now.
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Sean Murphy
•Yeah you'll be fine with 1. And remember you can always adjust it later if needed.
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Zara Khan
The fact that Washington ESD lets you change this online is actually pretty convenient. Some states make you call or submit forms.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•That is convenient. At least they got that part of the system right!
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Keisha Brown
•True, though sometimes you still need to call for other issues. That's when services like Claimyr really come in handy.
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Luca Ferrari
If you end up needing to call Washington ESD about this or anything else, definitely try Claimyr. I used it last month and actually got through to someone in under 10 minutes instead of spending hours on hold.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•That sounds amazing compared to the horror stories I've heard about calling Washington ESD directly.
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Nia Davis
•10 minutes?? That's incredible. I spent 3 hours on hold last time I tried calling.
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Mateo Martinez
Bottom line: 1 exemption for single people, 2+ if you have dependents, and 0 if you want maximum withholding. Pretty straightforward once you know the basics.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Perfect summary! Thanks everyone for all the help. Going with 1 exemption.
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QuantumQueen
•Good choice! You should be all set with that.
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