What is a 1099-G for unemployment from Washington ESD?

Yes, unemployment benefits are considered taxable income by the IRS. The 1099-G form reports the total amount of unemployment compensation you received during the tax year. You'll need to report this on your federal tax return as income.

yeah i got mine too and was like wtf?? why didnt anyone tell me this when i was getting benefits

The boxes for tax withheld being empty means Washington ESD didn't automatically take out taxes from your weekly payments. Some people choose to have taxes withheld, but most don't. Now you'll owe taxes on the full amount when you file.

Had this same shock last year. If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about your 1099-G, I found a service called Claimyr that helped me actually talk to someone there. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Was way easier than trying to call myself.

Wait, I never got a 1099-G and I definitely received unemployment last year. Should I be worried?

Box 1 shows your total unemployment compensation, Box 2 shows federal income tax withheld (if any), and Box 4 shows state income tax withheld. Since Washington doesn't have state income tax, Box 4 should always be blank for Washington ESD 1099-Gs.

This is exactly why I hate the unemployment system. They make it so complicated and don't explain anything clearly!!

Make sure you enter the 1099-G information exactly as it appears on the form. TurboTax and other tax software will walk you through it step by step.

I got unemployment in 2024 but only for like 6 weeks. Do I still need to report it even if it was a small amount?

Pro tip: if you're still unemployed or underemployed this year, consider having taxes withheld from your benefits to avoid this surprise next year. You can request this when filing your weekly claims.

Does anyone know if the 1099-G includes other types of benefits like standby benefits or just regular UI?

ugh I'm in the same boat, got mine yesterday and almost threw it away thinking it was junk mail

I had questions about mine because the amount seemed wrong, and calling Washington ESD was impossible. Someone mentioned Claimyr earlier - I tried it and actually got through to talk to someone who could explain the discrepancy. Turned out they had correctly calculated my benefits, I just wasn't accounting for the waiting week properly.

For anyone using tax software, make sure you enter this in the 'unemployment compensation' section, not as miscellaneous income. It makes a difference for your calculations.

I received unemployment but also worked part-time some weeks. My 1099-G shows the total unemployment but doesn't account for the wages I reported. Is that normal?

This thread is so helpful! I was panicking about this form and now I understand what I need to do.

One thing to remember is that if you had to pay back any overpayments to Washington ESD, that might affect your taxable amount. Keep documentation of any repayments you made.

Just wanted to add that if you can't find your 1099-G, you can also access it through your SecureAccess Washington account online. It should be available in your documents section.

This is probably obvious but make sure you keep your 1099-G with your other tax documents. You'll need it if you ever get audited or have questions about that tax year later.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I feel much more confident about filing my taxes now. Really appreciate this community.