Skip to main content

As of July 8, 2026, IDES will no longer send benefit payments via paper check.  You may select direct deposit or debit card as your method for receiving benefit payments.  If you were receiving paper checks, you will be switched over to debit card payments unless you choose to enroll in direct deposit.

Filing unemployment claims will be unavailable Sunday, July 26th from 12:00 a.m. until noon for a scheduled system upgrade.  Access for claimants will resume Sunday afternoon.

Sign Into My Account

Household Employer (Worker) Taxes and Reporting

Anyone who pays a nanny, housekeeper, home health aide or other household employee to work in their home is a household employer.

Household employers can file their unemployment insurance contributions annually with IDES.  The new "Return for Household Employers - Unemployment Contributions" (UI-HA; see below) is now available.  This form is not to be used for Illinois Department of Revenue payments.​

 

Steps to Pay

If you qualify as a household employer and want to pay your taxes once a year, follow these steps:

  1. ​Register as a household (domestic) employer (if you are not already registered).
    To complete your registration, you should now use the IDES REG-UI-1 Report to Determine Liability Under the Unemployment Insurance Act form. You can access the form online through MyTax Illinois and then Register a new business (Form REG-1). A paper copy of the REG-UI-1 form is also available.  Contact the IDES Employer Hotline at 1-800-247-4984 if you have any questions about MyTax Illinois or the REG-UI-1 form.
  2. Report any newly hired employees within 20 days of the date of hire.
  3. UI-HA forms are due by April 15 of the following year.

 

Additional Publications

  1. Internal Revenue Service: Household Employer's Tax Guide
  2. Social Security Administration: Household Workers Publication
  3. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Verification Process
  4. Learn more about your responsibilities as a household employer

 

Useful Links

  1. Illinois Department of Revenue: Tax Forms
  2. Illinois Department of Revenue: Withholding and Paying
  3. Household Employer Taxes​