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Don't forget that if you acquire a business, you might inherit their FUTA experience rating. Same thing can happen with Washington ESD unemployment tax rates. Due diligence should include checking their tax compliance history.
Bottom line: FUTA is federal, Washington ESD taxes are state, you need both, and the rules are different for each. Get professional help if you're unsure - the penalties for getting it wrong are not worth the savings on accounting fees.
Final reminder - file your claim as soon as possible, be completely honest and accurate with all information, keep detailed records of everything, and stay on top of your weekly filings and job search requirements. You'll be fine.
And remember services like Claimyr exist if you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD. Don't spend weeks banging your head against the wall like I did.
I used Claimyr when I had questions about partial unemployment while dealing with a medical condition. The agent was really knowledgeable about the rules around work restrictions and helped me understand my options. Worth the cost to get accurate information instead of guessing.
Whatever you decide, make sure you understand the appeal processes for both programs. Disability has multiple levels of appeals, unemployment appeals are more limited. Plan for the possibility of initial denial with either one.
Ashley Simian
Another angle for your presentation: Washington's unemployment rate recovery was faster than most states. We went from 16.3% in April 2020 to under 6% by early 2021. Shows the resilience of our local economy.
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Jasmine Hernandez
•Great point! I'll definitely include that positive recovery story alongside the peak numbers.
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Luis Johnson
•The tech sector really helped drive that recovery, along with federal stimulus programs and enhanced unemployment benefits.
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Alina Rosenthal
this thread has been really educational. didnt realize how much the unemployment rate fluctuated during covid
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Mohammad Khaled
•It really was a historic economic event. The speed of both the collapse and recovery was unprecedented.
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Alina Rosenthal
•makes me appreciate having a job right now thats for sure
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