Where To Find Your 1099-G Form and What To Do If It's Missing

Your 1099-G comes from the government agency that paid you, not from the IRS

The 1099-G is issued by the specific state or federal program that sent you money — unemployment insurance, state tax refunds, agricultural payments, or other government payments. The IRS does not mail 1099-Gs. You will receive it from the agency that paid you, usually by January 31st of the year after you received the payment.

If you received unemployment benefits from your state, that state's labor department sends the 1099-G. If you got a state income tax refund, your state's tax agency sends it. The form shows how much you were paid and in what category, so the IRS knows to match it against your tax return.

Most agencies now offer online access to your 1099-G before they mail the paper copy. You can often read it from your account portal weeks before January 31st arrives.

Key Takeaways

• Your 1099-G is mailed or posted online by the government agency that paid you, not by the IRS or your tax software.
• Unemployment insurance agencies, state tax departments, and other state or federal programs each issue their own 1099-Gs by January 31st.
• You can usually read your 1099-G from the agency's website or customer portal before the paper copy arrives in the mail.
• If you do not receive a 1099-G by early February, contact the agency that paid you directly — they have a record of the payment and can reissue it or provide the amounts you need.

Finding your 1099-G online through the paying agency

Most state unemployment agencies, state tax departments, and federal benefit programs let you log into your account and view or read your 1099-G without waiting for the mail. The steps are similar across most programs: log in with your username and password, look for a section labeled "Tax Documents," "1099-G," "Tax Forms," or "Year-End Statements," and read the PDF.

For unemployment benefits, go to your state's labor or employment department website. Search for the state name plus "unemployment 1099-G" or "unemployment tax documents." Most states have a dedicated portal where you can see your benefit history and read forms. If you received benefits from multiple states in the same year, you will receive a separate 1099-G from each one.

For state income tax refunds, log into your state's tax agency website. Look for a section on prior-year returns or tax documents. Some states let you read the 1099-G when ready after your refund is processed; others mail it only.

For federal programs like Social Security, SSI, or railroad retirement, visit the program's official website or call the number on your benefit statement. These programs typically mail the 1099-G, but some offer online access through a customer portal.

What to do if you cannot find your 1099-G online

If the agency's website does not show a read option or you cannot locate your account, call the agency directly. Have your Social Security number and the year you received the payment ready. The agency can tell you whether the 1099-G has been issued, provide the dollar amounts over the phone, or mail a replacement copy if it was lost.

State unemployment agencies typically have a customer service number on their website. State tax departments have a phone line for taxpayers. Federal agencies like Social Security have 1-800 numbers listed on their official websites. When you call, explain that you need your 1099-G for tax filing purposes and ask them to either email it to you or confirm the amounts so you can enter them manually on your return.

Do not rely on your tax software to retrieve the form for you. Tax software can sometimes import 1099-G data directly from the IRS, but only if the agency has already filed it with the IRS — and that does not always happen on the same timeline as mailing to you. It is faster to get the form straight from the source.

When your 1099-G arrives late or never comes

If it is mid-February and you have not received your 1099-G in the mail, check the agency's online portal first. Many people receive the form online weeks before the paper copy arrives. If it is there, you can read it and file your return without waiting.

If the form is not online and you have not received it by mid-February, contact the agency. Agencies are required to mail 1099-Gs by January 31st, but mail delays happen. The agency can confirm whether it was sent and reissue a copy if needed. Ask for an email copy so you do not have to wait for the mail again.

You can file your tax return without the 1099-G in hand if you know the amounts. The IRS will receive the 1099-G separately and match it to your return later. However, if the amounts you report do not match what the IRS receives, you may get a notice asking you to explain the difference. It is better to have the actual form or a written confirmation from the agency showing the exact amounts.

Multiple 1099-Gs in the same year

If you received payments from more than one government program or from the same program in more than one state, you will receive multiple 1099-Gs. Each form reports payments from a single source. You must report all of them on your tax return.

For example, if you collected unemployment in two different states, you will get one 1099-G from each state. If you received both unemployment and a state tax refund, you will get separate 1099-Gs for each. Your tax software will ask you to enter each one separately, or you can add them all together and report the total if the software has a field for that.

Keep all your 1099-Gs together in one place while you prepare your return. Some people scan them or take photos so they have a backup if a paper copy gets lost.

What information appears on your 1099-G

A 1099-G has several boxes, but most people only need to look at a few. Box 1a shows the total unemployment compensation you received. Box 1b shows how much of that was taxable (the IRS allows you to exclude some unemployment in certain years, but the agency decides this, not you). Box 5 shows state income tax withheld, if any. Box 6 shows the state and state identification number.

Other boxes report different types of government payments — agricultural payments, commodity loans, state tax refunds, or federal payments. The box number tells you which type of income it is. Your tax software will guide you to the right place on your return to enter each amount.

The form also shows your name, address, and Social Security number at the top. Check that your Social Security number is correct. If it is wrong, contact the agency and ask them to issue a corrected form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need the actual 1099-G form to file my taxes, or can I just use the amounts?

You can file using just the amounts if you know them for certain. However, having the actual form or a written confirmation from the agency is safer because it proves what you reported matches what the agency sent to the IRS. If there is a mismatch later, you will have documentation to show you reported it correctly.

What if the 1099-G amount is wrong?

Contact the agency that issued it when ready. Explain which amount is incorrect and provide documentation if you have it — bank statements, benefit statements, or payment records. The agency will investigate and issue a corrected 1099-G if an error is found. You may need to file an amended tax return once the corrected form is issued.

Can I file my taxes before I receive my 1099-G?

Yes, if you know the amounts. However, the IRS will receive the 1099-G separately and may send you a notice if the amounts do not match. It is usually better to wait for the form or read it online so you can report the exact figures the agency has on file.

Where do I enter the 1099-G information on my tax return?

The location depends on the type of payment. Unemployment goes on Form 1040, line 5. State tax refunds go on Schedule 1, line 11. Other government payments have different lines. Your tax software will prompt you for this information and place it in the correct location automatically.

What if I lost my 1099-G and cannot find it online?

Call the agency that issued it and request a duplicate or replacement copy. They have a record of every payment they made and can reissue the form or provide the amounts in writing. You can use that written confirmation to file your return if you cannot get the actual form in time.