You Received Unemployment Benefits During COVID-19. What Does That Mean for Your Taxes?
By the end of May 2020, over 20 million Americans claimed unemployment benefits. This payment can be a great relief to many who have found themselves out of work due to COVID-19. Many companies have been forced to lay off workers, while others simply have not been able to operate as a result of health risks, including restaurant and entertainment industry workers. However, unlike the stimulus checks that were a part of the CARES Act, unemployment benefits (state benefits plus the government’s weekly benefit payments) are federally taxable and may also be taxed by your state.2 Rather than facing an unwelcomed tax burden during the 2020 tax season, we go through three options to help you prepare for next tax season.