$10,200 in Unemployment Benefits Won’t Be Taxed
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan signed into law last week includes a welcome tax break for unemployed workers. The law waives federal income taxes on up to $10,200 in unemployment insurance benefits for people who earn under $150,000 a year, potentially saving workers thousands of dollars. States that currently tax unemployment benefits have yet to decide whether they will allow those state taxes to be waived as well.
The change is good news for most taxpayers, who could save close to $25 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Wait, I have to pay Taxes on my Unemployment?
The short answer is, yes. The federal government considers unemployment benefits to be taxable income, although taxes are not automatically withheld from benefits payments, the way an employer might take taxes out of your paycheck. Instead, unemployment recipients must request that taxes be withheld from their benefits, and the withholding is limited to 10%.
