How to enter unemployment on taxes - Washington ESD 1099-G questions

unemployment benefits are fully taxable as regular income. You'll enter the amount from Box 1 of your 1099-G on your tax return where it asks for unemployment compensation. If you had federal taxes withheld, that amount from Box 4 goes with your other withholdings.

make sure you actually received your 1099-G from Washington ESD. Mine was delayed and I had to download it from their website. Check your SecureAccess Washington account if you haven't gotten it yet.

Had the same tax situation last year. One thing to watch out for - if you received any overpayment notices from Washington ESD after getting your 1099-G, you might need to adjust the taxable amount. The 1099-G shows what they paid you, but if you had to pay some back, you can potentially deduct that repayment.

For anyone still waiting on their 1099-G, I had to call Washington ESD to get mine reissued. Took forever to get through though - ended up using claimyr.com to actually reach an agent. They have this system that calls you back when an agent is available instead of waiting on hold. Here's their demo video: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Got my tax form issue resolved same day.

quick question - if I received UI benefits in 2024 but didn't have taxes withheld, am I going to owe a bunch at tax time?

update - just finished entering everything and it looks like I'm getting a small refund despite the unemployment income. Having some taxes withheld definitely helped.

Does anyone know if the state of Washington taxes unemployment benefits too? I know there's no state income tax here but wanted to double check.

been doing my own taxes for years and unemployment is pretty straightforward. Just remember that if you received benefits in January for December weeks, those go on the tax year when you actually received the payment, not when you earned it.

pro tip: if you're using tax software like TurboTax or H&R Block, there's usually a specific section for unemployment income. Don't try to enter it as miscellaneous income or anything like that.

still confused about the overpayment thing from earlier. I got my 1099-G showing $12,000 in benefits but then had to pay back $800 in November. So do I report $12,000 or $11,200 on my taxes?

Anyone else think it's crazy that unemployment benefits are taxable? Like you're already struggling financially and then they want to tax the assistance money too.

For what it's worth, if you're doing taxes yourself make sure you keep a copy of your 1099-G with your tax records. The IRS gets a copy too so the amounts need to match up.

question about timing - I received my last unemployment payment in early January 2025 for December 2024 weeks. Does that payment go on my 2024 taxes or 2025 taxes?

just wanted to add - if you worked part time while getting unemployment, make sure you have both your W-2 and 1099-G when doing taxes. Both are important income sources that need to be reported.

heads up for anyone who might need to contact Washington ESD about 1099-G issues - I tried calling for weeks about a missing form. Finally used that claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and got connected to an agent who sent my form electronically same day. Worth it if you're stuck.

For anyone who got a corrected 1099-G after filing, you can file an amended return if the amounts changed significantly. Usually not worth it for small differences though.

PSA: if you're married filing jointly, make sure your spouse knows about the unemployment income too. It affects your combined tax liability even if only one person received benefits.

last thing - if this is your first time dealing with unemployment on taxes and you're feeling overwhelmed, consider getting help from a tax preparer. The cost might be worth the peace of mind, especially if you have other complicating factors.

thanks everyone for all the helpful info! this thread definitely made the whole process less confusing for me.