Applying if only cash jobs; which state to apply (collect, file, apply)

[FreeSpirited1]

A friend of mine is a freelance artist and never made enough to file taxes, always paid cash. He moved to WI from CA and I am curious what you all think if he can file for unemployment, stating he could not find work in CA or some such thing. Currently, he's staying with a friend and money he has saved is pretty tight.

Not sure how quickly the job will happen so trying to help him figure if he should try for UE in CA or WI - any advice is appreciated; unusual situation...

[Chyvan]

Unemployment is based off your last employer(s) in the past up to 18 months. You describing his employment as "freelance" doesn't sound promising for a quick payment of unemployment if at all.

[Ariadne22]

Free-lance 1099 income in which no UI taxes have been paid generally does not qualify as eligible earnings for unemployment benefit purposes.

If your friend was paid W-2 and those free-lance earnings appear in the system, there might be eligibility.

If he was paid cash - which I think is what you meant - and the earnings do not appear in any database, there are no earnings on which to base an unemployment claim unless your friend has paystubs he can submit as proof of earnings.

He can apply through WI since that is where he "earned" his money. If nothing appears in the system and he cannot document his earnings, he will be denied. Same is true of CA.

Based on what you've said, your friend is not qualified to collect unemployment benefits in WI or CA. Keep us posted, if by some remote chance he finds himself approved.