Unemployment Compensation for former "owner" of Subchapter S Corporation

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wisconsin

From 1979 to 1990 I worked for IBM, in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, with well documented earnings in the form of regular paychecks. In 1990 I started a small retail business and incorporated it as a Subchapter S corporation. From its inception in 1990 until 2000, my former wife and I were the only shareholders in this corporation. When we divorced in 2000, I became the sole shareholder. From 1990 until June 2005 I received wages as an employee of the corporation. Between June 2005 and November 2008 when the business closed, I received no paychecks, taking living expenses from the corporation as distributions. In November 2008 I lost the lease on the business premises. Because of the nature of the business and the equipment involved, it was financially impossible at that time for me to relocate the business, so I closed it permanently. The corporation is still registered in the state of Wisconsin "in good standing", but is no longer active. I am now, and have been for some time, seeking employment.

Is it possible for me to collect Unemployment benefits and if so, how?

Were you paying unemployment insurance payments?

I assume you are asking if the corporation made regular deposits of the required Federal and State (WI) Unemployment Taxes. Yes, the corporation paid nearly $8,000 in FUTA taxes, filed all required Forms 940, and paid nearly $1,400 in Wisconsin Unemployment taxes.

The only way you will know if you are eligible is to file.

If you get turned down, then appeal it.

If you haven't paid yourself wages since June, 2005, you would not be financially eligible. The states looks at wages earned/reported, for a claim started in first quarter of 2009, from 10/1/07-9/30/08.