Washington ESD unemployment tax refund - where is my unemployment tax refund?
I filed my 2024 taxes back in February and claimed the unemployment tax exemption on my federal return. I received unemployment benefits from Washington ESD last year totaling about $8,200 and paid taxes on all of it. My tax software calculated that I should get a refund of around $1,100 but I still haven't received anything from the IRS. Has anyone else dealt with this? I'm not sure if this is a Washington ESD issue or an IRS issue but I'm getting frustrated waiting for my money.
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Sean Murphy
The unemployment tax refund is handled by the IRS, not Washington ESD. Washington ESD just sends you the 1099-G form showing how much unemployment you received. The actual tax refund comes from the federal government and can take several months to process, especially if you're claiming the unemployment tax exemption.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•Oh okay, so Washington ESD isn't involved in the refund process at all? I was wondering if I needed to contact them.
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Sean Murphy
•Correct, Washington ESD's role ends with providing the 1099-G. Everything after that is between you and the IRS.
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StarStrider
same boat here, filed in march and still waiting on my unemployment tax refund. Called the IRS and they said it could take up to 21 weeks to process returns with the unemployment tax exemption
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Anastasia Ivanova
•21 weeks?! That's ridiculous. Did they give you any way to track the status?
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StarStrider
•You can check the IRS website with the 'Where's My Refund' tool but mine just says 'processing' for months now
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Zara Malik
I got my unemployment tax refund back in August, but it took about 6 months from when I filed. Make sure you have your 1099-G from Washington ESD and that all the numbers match what you reported on your tax return. If there's a discrepancy, the IRS will hold up your refund while they investigate.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•How do I check if my 1099-G numbers match what I reported? I threw away my copy after filing.
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Zara Malik
•You can log into your Washington ESD account and download a copy of your 1099-G. It should show the exact amount of unemployment benefits you received and taxes withheld.
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Luca Marino
•This is actually a common issue - if you can't access your Washington ESD account online, you might need to call them to get help retrieving your 1099-G. I had to use a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually get through to a Washington ESD representative when I couldn't access my account. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Nia Davis
Wait, I'm confused about this whole unemployment tax refund thing. I got unemployment from Washington ESD in 2023 and paid taxes on it. Do I need to file an amended return to get money back?
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Sean Murphy
•The unemployment tax exemption was only for 2020 unemployment benefits, not 2023. If you received unemployment in 2023, you still have to pay taxes on it like normal income.
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Nia Davis
•Oh damn, I was getting excited thinking I might get some money back. Thanks for clarifying.
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Mateo Perez
Just got off the phone with the IRS and they told me my unemployment tax refund was sent to an old address even though I filed a change of address form. Now I have to wait another 6-8 weeks for them to reissue it. This whole process is a nightmare.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•That's awful! How did you even get through to someone at the IRS? Every time I call I get hung up on.
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Mateo Perez
•I called first thing in the morning at 7 AM sharp when they opened. Took about 45 minutes on hold but I finally got through.
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Aisha Rahman
THE IRS IS A JOKE!!! Been waiting 8 months for my unemployment tax refund and they keep telling me it's 'under review' with no timeline. Meanwhile I'm struggling to pay bills and they're sitting on MY money that they took illegally in the first place!
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CosmicCrusader
•I feel your frustration but the taxes weren't taken illegally - unemployment benefits are considered taxable income unless there's a specific exemption like there was for 2020.
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Aisha Rahman
•whatever, point is they're taking forever to give people their money back and it's BS
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Ethan Brown
Has anyone tried contacting their congressional representative about delayed unemployment tax refunds? I heard they can sometimes help speed up the process with the IRS.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•Yes! I contacted my congressman's office after waiting 7 months and they submitted a congressional inquiry. Got my refund 3 weeks later.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•Really? How do you go about contacting them? Do you just call their office?
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Yuki Yamamoto
•Most congressional offices have a form on their website for constituent services. You fill it out explaining your situation and they'll contact the IRS on your behalf.
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Carmen Ortiz
Make sure you're checking your bank account regularly. My unemployment tax refund was direct deposited without any notification from the IRS. I only found out because I happened to check my account and saw the deposit.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•Good point, I should check more often. Did it show up as 'IRS REFUND' or something like that?
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Carmen Ortiz
•Yeah it showed up as 'IRS TREAS 310' on my bank statement with the tax refund amount.
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Andre Rousseau
I'm still waiting too but my tax preparer said the IRS is way behind on processing returns with the unemployment tax exemption. Something about their computer systems not being able to handle the calculations properly so they have to review them manually.
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Zoe Papadakis
•That makes sense why it's taking so long. Manually reviewing millions of tax returns would be a massive undertaking.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•So frustrating that their systems can't handle this. You'd think the IRS would have better technology.
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Jamal Carter
Quick question - do you have to claim the unemployment tax exemption when you file, or does the IRS automatically apply it? I'm worried I might have missed something on my return.
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Sean Murphy
•You have to specifically claim it on your tax return. If you didn't include it when you filed, you'd need to file an amended return to get the refund.
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Jamal Carter
•Okay thanks, I think I did include it but I'm going to double-check my copy of the return to make sure.
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AstroAdventurer
Got my unemployment tax refund last week finally! Took about 5 months from filing. The amount was exactly what my tax software calculated so at least that part worked correctly.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•Congrats! That gives me hope that mine will eventually show up. Did you get any advance notice or did it just appear?
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AstroAdventurer
•No advance notice, just showed up in my bank account one day. I had kind of given up checking for it.
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Mei Liu
If you're having trouble accessing your Washington ESD account to verify your 1099-G information, I had success using Claimyr to get through to someone at Washington ESD. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how the service works. Saved me hours of trying to call Washington ESD directly.
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Liam O'Sullivan
•How much does that service cost? Seems like something the state should provide for free.
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Mei Liu
•I agree it should be free, but when you're waiting months for a tax refund, sometimes it's worth paying to get the issue resolved quickly.
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Amara Chukwu
Here's what I learned from my tax preparer: if your unemployment tax refund is taking longer than 21 weeks, you should call the IRS and ask for a status update. They can tell you if there are any issues with your return that need to be resolved.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•Good to know about the 21 week timeframe. I'm getting close to that point so I'll give them a call.
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Giovanni Conti
•Just be prepared for long hold times when calling the IRS. I waited 2 hours on hold yesterday before giving up.
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
PSA: Make sure your address is up to date with both the IRS and Washington ESD. If you moved after receiving unemployment benefits, the IRS might send your refund to your old address and it could get lost in the mail.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•Good point, I did move last year after my unemployment ended. How do I update my address with the IRS?
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
•You can file Form 8822 with the IRS to change your address. Washington ESD has an online form you can fill out to update your address with them too.
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NeonNova
•If you need help updating your address with Washington ESD and can't get through their phone lines, Claimyr might be able to help you reach someone. I used them when I had issues with my account and they were pretty efficient.
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Dylan Campbell
I'm in the same situation but I'm worried I made an error on my tax return. Is there a way to check if the IRS received my return and is processing it correctly?
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Sean Murphy
•You can use the IRS 'Where's My Refund' tool online or call their automated phone line. You'll need your Social Security number, filing status, and exact refund amount to check the status.
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Dylan Campbell
•I tried that but it just says 'processing' and has said that for months. Is there a way to get more detailed information?
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Sean Murphy
•If it's been more than 21 weeks, you can call the IRS directly and speak to a representative. They can look up your account and tell you if there are any specific issues.
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Sofia Hernandez
For anyone still waiting - I finally got my unemployment tax refund after 6 months. The key was making sure all my Washington ESD 1099-G information matched exactly what I reported on my tax return. Even small discrepancies can cause delays.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•How did you verify that everything matched? I don't have my 1099-G anymore and I'm worried there might be a discrepancy.
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Sofia Hernandez
•Log into your Washington ESD account online and you can download a copy of your 1099-G. Compare the total unemployment benefits and taxes withheld to what you reported on your tax return.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•If you're having trouble accessing your Washington ESD account, there's a service called Claimyr that can help you get through to a representative. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ to see how it works.
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