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Are Unemployment Benefits Taxable During the Coronavirus Outbreak?

Updated: May 28, 2020



The IRS wants its cut, but a few states will offer you a break.


If you've lost your job because of the coronavirus, you're not alone: More than 26 million U.S. workers have filed first-time claims for state unemployment insurance (UI) benefits since the outbreak began.


State UI benefits typically cover 60 to 66 percent of total wages. Many states cap their highest UI payment to half the state's average weekly wage, and some have even lower benefit caps. In February, average weekly UI benefits were about $387 nationwide but ranged from a low of $215 in Mississippi to $550 in Massachusetts, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan think tank.


Under the CARES Act, enacted March 27, people who were laid off because of the coronavirus are eligible to get an additional $600 per week until July 31, 2020. This federally funded $600 weekly benefit extends to people who aren't traditionally covered by state unemployment insurance. Under what's called the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, the self-employed, independent contractors and so-called gig workers are covered by unemployment for up to 39 weeks if they lost their jobs as a direct result of the pandemic. Another program, the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, gives an additional 13 weeks of federally funded unemployment insurance payments.


Enjoy the windfall, but don't forget the tax man

The federally funded $600 weekly payments, like state unemployment insurance benefits, are taxable at the federal level. Most states tax UI benefits as well. Of the 41 states that tax income, only five — California, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Virginia — fully exempt UI benefits. Indiana and Wisconsin make partial exemptions, according to the Tax Foundation, an independent tax policy nonprofit. In the remaining 34 states, UI benefits are fully taxable at the state level.

Early next year, you'll get a Form 1099-G, which will tell you the amount of UI benefits you received in 2020, and how much was withheld for taxes. You'll have to report that income on your 2020 federal tax return (and state return, if applicable).

“When filing for the benefit, strongly consider choosing to have tax withheld so you aren't blindsided when you file your income tax return,” says Logan D. Howard, a certified public accountant (CPA) in Masontown, Pennsylvania. “In most cases, the tax withheld should be sufficient to cover the tax liability.”



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