This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
Typically, unemployment benefits were already paid for by you and your employer, in the private sector. It’s typically commensurate with your earnings. Any additional unemployment assistance, such as the $600 per week pandemic assistance is temporary, and meant to keep you at home.
Unemployment assistance is an entitlement benefit you earned, so it’s yours anyway. You’re not taking anything from anyone.
I report my Airbnb as rental income (i.e., passive income), so I’m not eligible for any unemployment benefits. I also work full-time as an essential employee. I was however eligible for a SBA grant and loan, which have been very helpful.
Your unemployment benefits are probably from your previous career, not from being a STR host. Self-employed individuals do not purchase unemployment insurance, so they typically cannot collect. An exemption in most US states was made during the COVID-19 pandemic. Use it.
You are lucky to be getting some compensation. We are in California and they turned down my application for unemployment, even though the State has the money set aside. We even paid taxes from our airbnb income last year.
Joan,
Same here in Ireland. I don’t qualify for the unemployment. But also look on the bright side and how much we are saving in fuel, eating out, going anywhere on holiday, cruising the Specials aisles at Aldi and LiDL, wandering the supermarket while hungry …
You also sound like me with husband’s electronics everywhere!
After you get turned down by regular unemployment, then you are eligible to file for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). It took most states about 6 weeks to get the system online. Go back and take a look.
After getting our 2019 taxes filed this month, we were finally able to apply for Ohio unemployment yesterday afternoon. We got our letters telling us what we have been awarded per week late last night! Incredibly fast!
I believe it varies by state, both in what you have to do and what you get. In Minnesota, they had to jerry rig the system to make it work for the self-employed who normally don’t get unemployment compensation. As a result, there is a pdf document with instructions on how to apply (in other words, how to fill out the application which includes making at least one out right lie to get the computer system work). The regular unemployment benefit is based on how much you make during the base period (they will tell you when that is), but once you qualify, no matter how little it’s for, you then also get the $600/week federal payment (ends on July 31 unless the Feds decide to extend it) that’s not dependent on size of income. So check your state for directions on how to handle being self-employed. Normally we can’t qualify but the Feds mandated that we get it now, because of covid-19.
That’s awesome. I’m still waiting. However I sent some paperwork via US mail. I messed up in my initial online filing and we had a holiday in the last 10 days. Paws crossed here.
The Catholic Church is exploiting our public funds, taking at least 1.3 Billion that was earmarked for small businesses and they don’t appear to be feeling the slightest bit guilty. https://time.com/5865746/catholic-church-billion-ppp-loans/
It is just astounding how much of our public money goes to subsidize misconduct and brutality committed by the police and Church. Chicago has paid over half a billion in legal fees and misconduct settlements for the Chicago Police Department in just the past 9 years.
Many other churches, too. I think it’s about time to end the tax exemption for churches. Churches and ministers should pay taxes just like everyone else.
Given the rampant corruption endemic to our current government (and that’s saying a lot since it’s always corrupt aside from partisan considerations) I have no problem taking anything I can qualify for.
I just as close to the USA as you – but at the SOUTHERN border.
Very few of our guests in the past five years are from the USA – maybe three. All the rest from Asia, Europe, South America, or Canada The border closure that cost us the most this year was Korea.
