How to file taxes if you received Washington ESD unemployment benefits - need help with tax forms

I checked my mail but didn't get anything. Let me look harder in my SAW account - maybe I missed where the tax documents are located.

Mine was buried in the account somewhere, took me forever to find it last year

Ugh I was afraid of that. I've tried calling them before for other issues and could never get through.

I actually found a service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents when you can't reach them normally. They have this system that calls for you and connects you when they get through. Check out claimyr.com - they even have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

Never heard of that service but honestly anything would be better than spending hours on hold just to get disconnected

No, unemployment benefits are definitely taxable income. You should have had the option to have taxes withheld when you were certifying your weekly claims. If you didn't do that, you might owe quite a bit at tax time.

oh no... I never had anything withheld. Am I going to owe a ton of money?

It depends on how much you received and your total income for the year. You might want to talk to a tax professional about this.

Good point about checking the amounts. I kept pretty good records of my weekly payments so I should be able to cross-reference.

Yeah mine had an extra payment from 2023 that got processed in 2024, really messed up my taxes until I caught it

I was planning to use TurboTax this year. Good to know it will guide me through the unemployment stuff.

TurboTax definitely makes it easier. Just don't forget to enter it or you'll get a nasty letter from the IRS later

That's a good backup plan. There's a WorkSource location not too far from me.

WorkSource staff are usually pretty helpful with this kind of thing, much better than trying to deal with Washington ESD phone system

Not really - your 1099-G will show the total unemployment benefits received, and your W-2 will show your work income. You just report both on your tax return like normal.

Ok that makes sense. I was worried it would be some complicated calculation.

Wait, what happens if I had to pay back benefits but haven't done it yet? I got an overpayment notice but I'm appealing it.

If you're appealing, you should still report the full amount you received on your taxes for now. If the appeal is successful later, you can file an amended return.

That's really helpful to know it actually works. I might try that if I can't find my form online.

How much does something like that cost though?

It's pretty reasonable for what you get. Way better than wasting whole days trying to get through on your own.

I didn't move but that's good to know for other people who might have this issue.

This happened to me! Took weeks to get it sorted out because it went to my old apartment.

Good advice. I'll definitely save a copy once I get it.

I learned this the hard way when the IRS audited me three years later and I couldn't find my unemployment tax documents

This can happen if there were benefit adjustments or if payments from previous years got processed late. You should contact Washington ESD to get a corrected 1099-G if the amount is significantly different from your records.

Ugh that means another phone call to Washington ESD. Maybe I'll try that Claimyr thing too.

They actually do give you the option to have taxes withheld when you file your weekly claims. But it's optional, so a lot of people skip it and then get surprised at tax time.

I wish someone had explained that better when I first started filing claims. I had no idea it was taxable income.

Thanks! I'll check that section. I was looking in the wrong place apparently.

Yeah the SAW website is not very intuitive. Everything is buried in weird places.

Glad you found it! The amount you owe will depend on your total income and tax bracket. You might want to use a tax calculator to get an estimate before filing.

Good idea. I'm already dreading this tax season.

Same here! Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and tips.

This is why I love this forum. Real people helping each other figure out this confusing unemployment system.

Good to know they have legal obligations too. Sometimes it feels like they can just ignore us.

Yeah Washington ESD isn't always great about following their own deadlines but at least we have some recourse

Thanks for that clarification. I probably would have put it in the wrong spot.

Most tax software will guide you to the right place when you say you have a 1099-G form

Agreed, this has been incredibly helpful. Good luck with your tax filing!

Same here. This community is great for getting real answers about dealing with Washington ESD.

Glad you got it sorted out! Remember to set aside money for taxes if you're in a similar situation in the future.

Great outcome! Always nice to see these threads end with success stories.