When will I get my 1099-G from Washington ESD unemployment?
I got unemployment benefits last year and I'm trying to do my taxes but I haven't received my 1099-G form yet. Does anyone know when Washington ESD usually sends these out? I need to file my taxes soon and I'm not sure what to do without the form. I checked my mail every day this week but nothing yet.
57 comments


Cassandra Moon
Washington ESD typically mails 1099-G forms by January 31st each year. If you haven't received yours by early February, you should be able to access it online through your SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account at esd.wa.gov.
0 coins
Eli Wang
•Thanks! I'll check my SAW account. I didn't know they posted them online too.
0 coins
Zane Hernandez
•yeah the online version is usually available before the paper one arrives in the mail
0 coins
Genevieve Cavalier
I'm in the same boat - still waiting for mine. Last year I got it around February 5th so I'm not too worried yet. But it's frustrating when you want to get your taxes done early.
0 coins
Ethan Scott
•Same here! I always try to file early but the 1099-G is always the last thing I get.
0 coins
Eli Wang
•At least I'm not the only one waiting. I was starting to think they forgot about me.
0 coins
Lola Perez
If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD about your 1099-G, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach an agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Really helped me when I needed to verify my tax form information.
0 coins
Nathaniel Stewart
•Interesting, never heard of that before. Did they actually help you get through?
0 coins
Lola Perez
•Yeah, saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals. The agent was able to confirm my 1099-G amount over the phone.
0 coins
Riya Sharma
You can also calculate the amount yourself if you really need to file early. Just add up all the unemployment payments you received in 2024. Your payment history should show all the weekly benefit amounts.
0 coins
Eli Wang
•Good idea! I kept track of most of my payments. Is there anything else I need besides the total amount?
0 coins
Riya Sharma
•The 1099-G will show total benefits paid and any federal taxes withheld. If you had taxes withheld, that info should be in your payment history too.
0 coins
Ethan Scott
UGH why is everything with Washington ESD so slow?? I swear they take forever with everything. First it took months to get my claim approved, now I can't get my tax forms on time.
0 coins
Cassandra Moon
•I understand the frustration, but they're actually required to send them by January 31st, which is still within the legal timeframe.
0 coins
Ethan Scott
•I know but other places send tax forms way earlier. My employer had my W-2 ready in mid-January.
0 coins
Genevieve Cavalier
Just got mine in the mail today! So they are definitely going out now. Should be in mailboxes this week.
0 coins
Eli Wang
•That's great news! I'll keep checking my mail. What zip code are you in if you don't mind me asking?
0 coins
Genevieve Cavalier
•98103 in Seattle. Probably depends on your mail route when it gets delivered.
0 coins
Zane Hernandez
pro tip - if you move during the year make sure to update your address with washington esd or your 1099g will go to the wrong place
0 coins
Santiago Diaz
•Oh no, I moved last fall and forgot to update my address! How do I fix this?
0 coins
Zane Hernandez
•you can update it online through your saw account or call them. but calling takes forever
0 coins
Nathaniel Stewart
The online version through SAW is definitely the way to go. I've been checking every day and it showed up there yesterday even though I haven't gotten the paper copy yet.
0 coins
Eli Wang
•Perfect! I'm going to log in right now and check. Thanks for the heads up.
0 coins
Riya Sharma
•The online version is also easier to save for your records. I just download the PDF and keep it with my other tax documents.
0 coins
Millie Long
Does anyone know if the 1099-G includes the extra $600 weekly payments from a couple years ago? I'm trying to figure out if I reported everything correctly on my old tax returns.
0 coins
Cassandra Moon
•Those enhanced benefits from 2020-2021 would have been included on the 1099-G for those tax years. Your 2024 form should only show regular UI benefits you received last year.
0 coins
Millie Long
•Got it, thanks. I was getting confused about which years had which benefits.
0 coins
KaiEsmeralda
I called Washington ESD yesterday about my 1099-G and actually got through after using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. The agent confirmed mine was mailed on January 28th so should arrive any day now.
0 coins
Lola Perez
•Glad Claimyr worked for you too! It's really the only way I can get through to them anymore.
0 coins
Ethan Scott
•Wait, you actually talked to a human at Washington ESD? That's like finding a unicorn.
0 coins
Debra Bai
Just a reminder that unemployment benefits are taxable income, so make sure you report the full amount on your tax return. Some people forget and get in trouble later.
0 coins
Gabriel Freeman
•Yeah I learned this the hard way a few years ago. Had to pay a bunch of extra taxes because I didn't expect the unemployment to be taxable.
0 coins
Eli Wang
•I had taxes withheld from my benefits so hopefully I won't owe too much extra.
0 coins
Laura Lopez
If you're really in a hurry to file, most tax software lets you enter the unemployment amount manually and then you can update it later when you get the actual 1099-G.
0 coins
Eli Wang
•That's a good backup plan. I might do that if mine doesn't show up in my SAW account soon.
0 coins
Victoria Brown
•Just make sure the amounts match exactly when you get the real form. You don't want any discrepancies with the IRS.
0 coins
Samuel Robinson
Mine finally showed up online today! Total was exactly what I calculated from my payment history. Now I can finally finish my taxes.
0 coins
Eli Wang
•Awesome! I'm going to check mine again right now. Fingers crossed it's there.
0 coins
Camila Castillo
•Same here, been checking every morning. The suspense is killing me lol
0 coins
Brianna Muhammad
For anyone still waiting, I work at an accounting firm and we tell clients to wait until at least February 5th before panicking about missing 1099-Gs. The mail can be slow sometimes.
0 coins
JaylinCharles
•That's reassuring coming from a professional. I was starting to stress about it.
0 coins
Eli Wang
•Good to know there's a professional timeline. I'll try to be more patient.
0 coins
Eloise Kendrick
UPDATE: Just checked my SAW account and my 1099-G is finally there! Shows $8,400 in benefits received last year. Now I can get my taxes done this weekend.
0 coins
Lucas Schmidt
•Congrats! I should probably stop being lazy and actually check mine instead of just waiting for the mail.
0 coins
Eli Wang
•That gives me hope! Going to log in right now and see if mine posted too.
0 coins
Freya Collins
PSA: Don't forget that if you received unemployment in multiple states, you'll get separate 1099-G forms from each state. Just in case anyone moved during the year.
0 coins
LongPeri
•Good point! I worked in Oregon for a few months before moving back to Washington. Need to check with both states.
0 coins
Eli Wang
•I only got benefits from Washington ESD so I should just have one form to worry about.
0 coins
Oscar O'Neil
Anyone else having trouble logging into their SAW account? I keep getting an error message when I try to access my 1099-G.
0 coins
Sara Hellquiem
•Try clearing your browser cache and cookies. The SAW website can be finicky sometimes.
0 coins
Charlee Coleman
•I had the same problem yesterday. Turns out my account was locked and I had to reset my password.
0 coins
Liv Park
The Claimyr service mentioned earlier actually helped me get through to Washington ESD when I had a similar login issue. Turns out there was a problem with my account that needed an agent to fix.
0 coins
Oscar O'Neil
•Thanks for the suggestion! If I can't get it working today I might try that.
0 coins
Lola Perez
•Yeah, sometimes the technical issues need an actual person to resolve. Claimyr makes it so much easier to reach someone.
0 coins
Leeann Blackstein
FINAL UPDATE: Got my paper 1099-G in the mail today! Matches exactly what was online. Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice and reassurance.
0 coins
Eli Wang
•Glad it all worked out! This thread was really helpful for knowing what to expect.
0 coins
Ryder Greene
•Perfect timing for tax season. Now we can all get our returns filed!
0 coins