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Question: Will the state notify me of my total unemployment benefits for tax purposes? Does it depend on what type of program I was on? I was unemployed for only about two months last year, and I am unclear on the procedures.
Answer: The state will mail out a Form 1099-G by Jan. 31 to each individual who received unemployment insurance and/or pandemic unemployment assistance in Hawaii during calendar year 2021, according to the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations’ Unemployment Division.
Along with people who received regular UI or PUA, this group also includes those who received Extended Benefits, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and Lost Wages Assistance. The Form 1099-G will include the amount of benefits paid, income taxes withheld (if any) and other information needed to file your federal and state income tax returns. Unemployment benefits are subject to federal and state income taxes.
If you want the information from your 1099-G sooner than that, you should be able to view it in your online UI account by about Jan. 18, the UI Division said in a notice posted on its website. “Log in to your online account (at uiclaims.hawaii.gov) and select ‘Claim Inquiry’ from the main menu. Then select ‘Display 1099 Information,’” it says.
On a related note, the state’s unemployment online filing system is scheduled to be down from 4 p.m. today until Monday, for scheduled maintenance, according to an alert from the DLIR. What time it should be back up Monday was not specified.
Q: Lately I have seen people wearing two of those blue surgical masks at one time. Does that help?
A: No, the disposable face masks you’re referring to are not designed to fit tightly, and wearing more than one at a time will not improve fit, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People should not combine two of those type of masks to deter COVID-19, it says. They could wear one surgical-type disposable mask under a cloth mask that has multiple layers, it says, which would push the edges of the inner mask snugly against the face.
To answer another reader’s question, the CDC says not to combine a tighter- fitting KN95 mask with any other mask. “Use only one KN95 mask at a time,” it says.
Q: Is it too late to switch to homeschooling for the rest of the school year?
A: No, not according to information posted on the state Department of Education’s website. “Homeschooling may begin as soon as the signed Form 4140 or letter of intent is sent to the neighborhood school,” it says. Form 4140 (Exceptions to Compulsory Education) allows the parent or guardian to specify when homeschooling would begin. Read more at 808ne.ws/does.
Auwe
The Red Hill water crisis is forcing thousands of affected households to drink bottled water. Single-use plastics degrade Hawaii’s fragile environment. Marine debris is a scourge, and single-use plastic water bottles are a big source of it. Some might consider this a minor concern given the gravity of the overall situation at Red Hill, but this issue deserves attention, too. — A reader
Mahalo
Mahalo to Mr. Lee, who so graciously helped me find my way to the Queen’s POB2 building after I missed my usual freeway cutoff and had to stop to ask for directions to get back on track. Not only did he provide clear instructions, he then also insisted on driving there and having me follow him! Thanks to his kindness and generosity, I was able to get my husband to his doctor’s appointment safely and on time. We are both so grateful. — The Crazy Kupuna From the Country
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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