My employees are receiving IRS Form 1099-Gs for unemployment benefits and they did not file for benefits in last year. What do they do?

An IRS Form 1099-G is issued when federal, state and local governments pay someone any of the following:

  • Unemployment compensation
  • State or local income tax refunds, credits or offsets
  • Re-employment trade adjustment assistance payments
  • Taxable grants
  • Agricultural payments

Unemployment benefits and state and local income tax refunds are the most common reasons an employee would receive a 1099-G. By law, these forms are sent to employees by January 31.

If your employee did not file for unemployment benefits in last year and they receive a Form 1099-G, this could be a sign that the employee’s identity was used fraudulently. The employee should reach out to the State Workforce Agency to report potential fraud. Alerting Thomas & Company to these cases is also recommended so we can determine if we received a claim. We will notify the state of the fraud and monitor your account for additional activity.

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