Filing my own taxes for the first time. Box 14 question on W-2 - so confused!
I'm using FreeTax USA this year to file my taxes for the first time on my own (always had my parents do it before lol) and I'm stuck at this Box 14 section. My W-2 has a couple things listed in Box 14 but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to enter them or what they even mean? One says "UNION DUES" and the other is something like "VOL LIFE". Do I need to enter these somewhere in the software? Will it affect my refund? FreeTax USA isn't really explaining what to do with these and I don't want to mess anything up on my first try doing this myself!
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Sean O'Donnell
Box 14 on your W-2 is where employers list additional information that doesn't fit elsewhere on the form. These items usually don't impact your federal taxes, but there are some exceptions. "UNION DUES" refers to money deducted from your paycheck for union membership. These might be deductible if you itemize deductions (Schedule A) and your total job expenses exceed 2% of your adjusted gross income, but most people take the standard deduction instead. "VOL LIFE" is likely voluntary life insurance premiums you've elected to have deducted from your paycheck. These are generally not tax-deductible. In FreeTaxUSA, you'll be asked if you want to itemize deductions. If you're taking the standard deduction (which most first-time filers do), you can typically ignore these Box 14 items. The software should guide you through questions about itemizing if that's potentially beneficial for you.
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Zara Ahmed
•Thanks for explaining! I was wondering - do union dues ever qualify for any tax credits instead of deductions? And will FreeTaxUSA automatically calculate if the standard deduction is better for me or should I do some math myself first?
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Sean O'Donnell
•Union dues don't qualify for tax credits, only potential deductions if you itemize. Credits directly reduce your tax bill dollar-for-dollar, while deductions only reduce your taxable income. FreeTaxUSA will automatically calculate whether the standard deduction or itemizing is better for you. It will ask questions about your potential deductions (including things like mortgage interest, charitable donations, etc.) and then recommend the option that saves you the most money. For most first-time filers, especially if you don't own a home, the standard deduction ($13,850 for single filers in 2025) is almost always higher than your itemized deductions would be.
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Luca Esposito
I had the same exact confusion last year! After struggling with a bunch of different boxes on my W-2, I ended up using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it saved me so much headache. I just uploaded my W-2 and it explained everything line by line, including all the Box 14 items. For union dues specifically, it told me exactly which states allow deductions for them (some states let you deduct them even if you take the standard deduction federally). The explanations were super clear and helped me understand what I was looking at instead of just guessing.
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Nia Thompson
•Does it actually fill in the tax forms for you or just explain what everything means? I'm using H&R Block and wondering if this would help me too.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Sounds useful but I'm always skeptical of these tax tools. How accurate was it compared to what your actual tax preparer would say? Did you end up with the same refund amount you would have gotten otherwise?
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Luca Esposito
•It doesn't fill in the forms for you - it's more like having a tax expert explain your documents. You still use your regular tax software (like FreeTaxUSA in your case) to file, but taxr.ai helps you understand what you're entering and why. The accuracy was really impressive. I actually had my return reviewed by my uncle who's been doing taxes for years, and he confirmed everything taxr.ai told me was correct. I ended up with the same refund I would have gotten otherwise, but with way more confidence that I wasn't missing anything. It was especially helpful for state-specific deductions that my tax software didn't clearly explain.
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Mateo Rodriguez
Just wanted to follow up - I decided to try taxr.ai after my last comment and wow, it was actually super helpful! I was still confused about some retirement plan contributions in Box 14 on my W-2 that my software wasn't explaining well. The tool immediately identified that they were 457(b) contributions and explained how they're already pre-tax so I didn't need to do anything special with them. It also pointed out a state tax credit for union dues that I would have completely missed otherwise. Definitely worth checking out if you're confused about any tax forms!
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GalaxyGuardian
If you're still having trouble understanding Box 14 after using FreeTaxUSA, you might want to call the IRS directly to get clarification. I know it sounds scary but they can actually be really helpful! The problem is getting through to them... I spent HOURS on hold last year. Then I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which basically calls the IRS for you and then connects you once they get through to a human. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - saved me from listening to that awful hold music for 2+ hours! The agent I spoke with explained exactly what I needed to do with my weird Box 14 entries.
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Aisha Abdullah
•How does that even work? The IRS won't talk to someone else on your behalf without authorization. Are you saying they somehow skip the phone queue?
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Ethan Wilson
•This sounds sketchy af. No way the IRS lets some random service cut the line. And they probably charge a fortune too. Have you actually used this yourself or just promoting something?
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GalaxyGuardian
•They don't talk to the IRS for you - they just navigate the phone system and wait on hold in your place. Once an actual IRS agent picks up, you get an automatic call connecting you directly to that agent. You're the one who talks to the IRS, not them. I was skeptical too at first but it's legit. They use automated systems to keep dialing and navigating the phone menus until they get through to a human. I've used it twice now - once for this W-2 question and another time when I had issues with my refund being delayed. Both times I got connected to an actual IRS agent within minutes after Claimyr called me back.
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Ethan Wilson
I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I was still stuck with a Box 14 question that FreeTaxUSA couldn't help with - mine had "SDI" and I had no idea what it meant or if it was important. Figured I'd try calling the IRS myself first and gave up after 45 minutes on hold. Tried Claimyr as a last resort and they actually got me through to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes (while I just went about my day). The agent explained SDI is State Disability Insurance and in my state it's actually deductible! Would never have known this without getting through to the IRS. Hate to admit when I'm wrong but this service actually works.
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Yuki Tanaka
For Box 14 items, it really depends on which state you live in! In California, SDI (State Disability Insurance) is deductible on your state return. In New York, union dues can be deductible on your state return even if you take the standard deduction federally. FreeTaxUSA should prompt you accordingly when you get to your state return portion. Don't worry too much about Box 14 for your federal return if you're taking the standard deduction.
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StarSeeker
•Thanks for mentioning the state-specific stuff! I'm in Illinois - would union dues be deductible here? Also I'm definitely taking the standard deduction since I don't have a house or anything fancy.
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Yuki Tanaka
•Illinois eliminated the deduction for union dues at the state level several years ago, so unfortunately you won't be able to deduct them on your Illinois return. They were previously allowed as an Illinois-specific deduction even if you took the standard deduction federally, but that's no longer the case. The standard deduction is definitely the way to go for your situation. Don't worry about those Box 14 items for your tax purposes - they're more for informational purposes in your case. FreeTaxUSA will guide you through the Illinois-specific credits and deductions you might qualify for when you start the state portion.
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Carmen Diaz
Does anyone know if FreeTaxUSA has a way to import W-2s directly? I'm doing my taxes for the first time too and I really don't want to type everything in manually...especially all these weird codes in different boxes. My W-2 has like 6 different things in Box 14 alone!
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Andre Laurent
•FreeTaxUSA doesn't have W-2 import like some of the more expensive software. You have to enter everything manually. But honestly it's not that bad, just takes like 10-15 mins per W-2. And for Box 14 stuff - if you're taking standard deduction you can basically ignore everything there unless you're in a state that has special deductions for them.
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