Washington ESD unemployment taxes 2022 - will I get a refund if I paid taxes?
I received unemployment benefits through Washington ESD in 2022 and had federal taxes withheld from my weekly claims. I'm wondering if I'll get any of that money back when I file my tax return? I had about $2,800 in federal taxes taken out over the course of receiving UI benefits for 6 months. My regular job income was pretty low that year since I was unemployed for half of it. Anyone know how this works with unemployment tax refunds?
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Alana Willis
It depends on your total income for 2022. If you had taxes withheld from your Washington ESD benefits and your total income including unemployment was low enough, you could definitely get a refund. You'll need your 1099-G form that Washington ESD sent you to file your taxes properly.
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Justin Trejo
•I did get the 1099-G from Washington ESD but haven't looked at it closely yet. Thanks for the info!
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Tyler Murphy
•make sure you check if washington state has any special rules about unemployment taxes too
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Sara Unger
Yes, unemployment benefits are taxable federally but Washington state doesn't tax unemployment income. If you had federal taxes withheld and your total income was below certain thresholds, you'll likely get at least some refund. The key is your total adjusted gross income including the UI benefits.
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Justin Trejo
•That's good news about Washington state not taxing it. I was worried I'd owe even more.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•Wait, so I don't have to pay Washington state taxes on my unemployment from last year? I've been stressing about this for weeks!
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Sara Unger
•Correct, Washington doesn't have a state income tax at all, so no state taxes on unemployment benefits either.
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Freya Ross
I was in a similar situation in 2021 and got back most of what was withheld. If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD about tax questions or need to verify your 1099-G info, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.
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Justin Trejo
•Thanks for the tip! I actually do need to verify some info on my 1099-G since the address looked wrong.
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Leslie Parker
•Never heard of that service but anything to avoid sitting on hold for hours with Washington ESD sounds good to me
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Sergio Neal
ugh i paid so much in taxes on my unemployment too and then found out i might not have needed to withhold as much. the whole system is confusing
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Alana Willis
•That's why it's usually better to have some withheld though - otherwise you might owe a big chunk at tax time.
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Sergio Neal
•true but i was already broke from being unemployed so having less in my weekly checks hurt
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Butch Sledgehammer
Does anyone know if there were any special rules for 2022 unemployment taxes? I remember hearing something about changes but can't remember what exactly.
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Sara Unger
•In 2021 there was an exclusion for the first $10,200 of unemployment income, but that didn't apply to 2022. So 2022 unemployment is fully taxable federally.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•Darn, I was hoping that exclusion was still around. Thanks for clarifying.
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Savanna Franklin
•Yeah that 2021 exclusion was a one-time pandemic thing. Definitely not available for 2022.
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Juan Moreno
Make sure you're using the right tax software or accountant who knows about unemployment income. I almost filed wrong because my tax software didn't automatically import my Washington ESD 1099-G correctly.
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Justin Trejo
•Good point, I'll double check that when I file. What software did you end up using?
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Juan Moreno
•I switched to TurboTax after having issues with the free one I was using. It handled the 1099-G much better.
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Amy Fleming
The IRS processed my refund pretty quickly last year when I had unemployment taxes withheld. I think it was like 3 weeks to get my direct deposit. Just make sure all your info matches between your 1099-G and what you report.
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Justin Trejo
•That's encouraging! I was worried it would take forever to get any refund.
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Alice Pierce
•mine took way longer but that might have been because i filed paper returns. definitely do electronic if you can
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Esteban Tate
Quick question - if I moved during 2022 while receiving Washington ESD benefits, could that affect my taxes or refund? I'm worried the 1099-G went to my old address.
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Sara Unger
•You should be able to get a copy of your 1099-G online through your Washington ESD account, or request a duplicate if needed. Moving shouldn't affect your refund eligibility.
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Freya Ross
•If you're having trouble accessing your Washington ESD account online, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier could help you reach someone to get your 1099-G sorted out.
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Esteban Tate
•Thanks, I'll try logging into my account first and see if I can download it there.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
Washington ESD automatically withheld 10% federal taxes from my benefits but I think I could have chosen a different percentage. Does anyone know if that affected how much refund I might get?
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Alana Willis
•The withholding percentage doesn't affect your refund amount - what matters is your total tax liability versus what was withheld. If you owed less than what was withheld, you get the difference back.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
•Ah okay that makes sense. I was worried I withheld too much but sounds like that would just mean a bigger refund.
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Elin Robinson
I'm still waiting to receive my 1099-G from Washington ESD and it's getting close to tax season. Should I be worried or do they send them out later than W-2s?
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Atticus Domingo
•1099-G forms are supposed to be mailed by January 31st just like W-2s. If you haven't gotten yours yet you should contact Washington ESD or check your online account.
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Beth Ford
•I had the same issue last year and ended up using Claimyr to actually get through to someone at Washington ESD about my missing 1099-G. Worth checking out if you can't reach them the normal way.
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Elin Robinson
•Thanks, I'll try calling first but good to know there are other options if I can't get through.
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Morita Montoya
Does anyone know if unemployment benefits count as earned income for things like the Earned Income Tax Credit? I'm trying to figure out if it helps or hurts my overall tax situation.
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Sara Unger
•No, unemployment benefits don't count as earned income for EITC purposes. EITC is based on wages, self-employment income, and a few other specific types of income, but not unemployment benefits.
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Morita Montoya
•Okay thanks, that's what I thought but wanted to double check since it affects my refund calculation.
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Kingston Bellamy
just want to add that if you got unemployment in 2022 you definitely need to report it even if you think you don't owe taxes. the IRS gets a copy of your 1099-G from washington esd so they'll know if you don't report it
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Justin Trejo
•Good reminder! I wasn't planning to skip reporting it but good to know they'll catch it if someone tries.
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Joy Olmedo
•Yeah don't mess around with the IRS on this stuff. Better to report everything and get whatever refund you're entitled to.
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Isaiah Cross
For what it's worth, I had a very similar situation - unemployment for about 6 months in 2022 with federal taxes withheld. I ended up getting back about 75% of what was withheld because my total income was pretty low. So there's a good chance you'll get a decent refund.
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Justin Trejo
•That's really encouraging to hear! Sounds like I'm in a similar boat so hopefully I'll see something similar.
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Kiara Greene
•yeah i got back most of mine too. the key is that unemployment often doesn't put you in a high tax bracket when it's your only income for part of the year
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