My W-2 box 14 says something weird... help with TurboTax dropdown menu?

So I'm trying to get through my taxes and I'm at the part in TurboTax where I'm entering my W-2 information. Everything was going fine until I got to box 14 which has some stuff written in it that I don't understand. TurboTax is asking me to pick a category for whatever is in box 14 from this dropdown menu, but honestly I have no clue what to select. There's like a dozen options and none of them seem to match what's written in my box 14. This is my first time doing taxes on my own (used to have my parents' accountant do it) and I'm worried about screwing something up. The code on my W-2 box 14 looks like some kind of abbreviation but I can't figure out what it means. Anyone know how to figure out which category to pick in TurboTax for random stuff in box 14? Is it something my employer should have explained to me?

0 coins

20 comments

Miguel Diaz

•8M

Box 14 on your W-2 is where employers can list additional information that doesn't fit anywhere else on the form. There's no standard format for this box, which is why TurboTax gives you that dropdown menu with various options. Common things that appear in Box 14 include union dues, uniform expenses, health insurance premiums paid by you, educational assistance, or state disability insurance taxes. Look at the abbreviation or code your employer used - it might give you a hint about what category to select. For example, "UEDU" might be educational assistance, or "UI" could be uniform expenses. If you're really not sure, you have three good options: 1) Contact your HR or payroll department and ask them what the code means, 2) Look at your final paystub of the year which might explain these deductions more clearly, or 3) Check if there's an explanation on the back of your W-2 or in accompanying materials.

0 coins

Ava Rodriguez

•8M

Thanks for the explanation! I tried looking at my last paystub but it just has the same weird abbreviation. The code is "VOL LIFE" which I'm guessing is something about life insurance? TurboTax has a life insurance option in the dropdown but I honestly don't remember signing up for any life insurance through work. Would selecting "Other" be safe if I'm not 100% sure? Or should I definitely call HR? Just wondering if this is something that could trigger an audit if I categorize it wrong.

0 coins

Miguel Diaz

•8M

VOL" LIFE almost certainly stands for Voluntary Life Insurance premiums. Many employers offer optional life insurance coverage that employees can choose to purchase through payroll deductions. You probably did sign up for this during your benefits enrollment, possibly as part of a package of benefits.'I d recommend "selecting Life" Insurance from the TurboTax dropdown. This is very common and'shouldn t trigger any audit concerns. These premiums are typically paid with after-tax dollars, so TurboTax just needs to know what they are but they usually'don t affect your tax liability. If'you re still concerned, you can check with HR, "but VOL" LIFE is a standard abbreviation that'I ve seen many times on W-2s for voluntary life insurancepremiums.

0 coins

Zainab Ahmed

•8M

Just wanted to share something that really helped me with confusing tax forms. I was completely stuck with some weird codes on my tax documents last year until I discovered https://taxr.ai which literally saved me hours of frustration. You can upload your W-2 and it will analyze what's in box 14 and tell you exactly what category to choose in TurboTax. I had a similar issue with some weird abbreviation in my box 14 that turned out to be a transit benefit, but I would have never guessed that on my own. The tool identified it right away and explained what it was in plain English.

0 coins

Zainab Ahmed

•8M

It works incredibly well for all kinds of tax documents, not just W-2s. It recognized everything on mine, including three separate entries in box 14. The system uses the same security standards as banks, so your documents are encrypted and secure. For "STD," that's almost certainly State Disability Insurance, which is common in states like California. The tool would identify that immediately and tell you exactly which dropdown option to select in TurboTax. It's been a game-changer for me since I used to spend hours trying to figure this stuff out on my own.

0 coins

AstroAlpha

•8M

Update: I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and it was seriously helpful! Uploaded my W-2 and it immediately identified "STD" as State Disability Insurance like you mentioned. It also explained what that actually means (which TurboTax doesn't do) and told me exactly which category to select. The analysis even showed me a deduction I was missing in another section of my return. Definitely worth checking out if you're confused by any of these tax form codes. Wish I'd known about this years ago instead of just guessing!

0 coins

Yara Khoury

•8M

If your employer isn't being helpful with explaining what's in box 14, you might want to try calling the IRS directly. I had to do this last year to figure out some confusing codes. Fair warning though - I spent HOURS on hold trying to get through to an actual person at the IRS. After trying for 3 days straight, I finally used https://claimyr.com and got a callback from the IRS in about 25 minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They were actually surprisingly helpful once I got through to someone. The agent walked me through exactly what each code in box 14 meant and how to handle it in TurboTax.

0 coins

Yara Khoury

•8M

The service essentially navigates the complex IRS phone system for you and waits on hold in your place. When they reach an actual IRS agent, that's when they call you for the transfer. It's not about skipping the line - it's about not having to personally sit through the hold time. It works because they have a system that can stay on hold with the IRS while you go about your day. I was skeptical too, but after my third failed attempt to reach someone (getting disconnected after 45+ minutes each time), I tried it. When they called me back, I was connected with an IRS agent within seconds. Saved me hours of frustration.

0 coins

Paolo Longo

•8M

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway because I was desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about a payment issue that had been stressing me out for weeks. Surprisingly, I got a call back in about 40 minutes and was connected to an actual IRS agent who answered my questions and helped resolve my issue. I had previously spent over 5 hours on multiple days trying to get through on my own with no success. For anyone dealing with confusing tax form issues like these W-2 codes, getting direct answers from the IRS can be really helpful, and this service actually does what it claims. I rarely admit when I'm wrong, but I'm happy I tried this.

0 coins

Amina Bah

•8M

For what it's worth, "VOL LIFE" is definitely voluntary life insurance. I work in payroll and we use this exact abbreviation. It's additional life insurance coverage that you elected to purchase through your employer's benefits program. The amount shown is what you paid in premiums, which is generally not tax deductible. When you select "Life Insurance" from the TurboTax dropdown, the program is basically just confirming that this isn't taxable income or a pre-tax deduction that needs special handling.

0 coins

Amina Bah

•8M

You're right - it won't affect your refund at all. Voluntary life insurance premiums paid through payroll are generally with after-tax dollars, so they've already been included in your taxable income. TurboTax just needs this information categorized correctly to ensure everything balances with what your employer reported to the IRS. It's purely informational from a tax perspective. Some other Box 14 items can affect your taxes (like state disability insurance payments which might be deductible on your state return), but voluntary life insurance premiums don't provide any additional tax benefit.

0 coins

CosmicCowboy

•8M

" GTLI is almost "certainly Group Term Life" Insurance - this is typically for employer-provided life insurance coverage exceeding $50,000. If the value of that coverage exceeds $50K, the IRS considers the premium for the excess amount as taxable income. "Selecting" Other probably worked fine because Box 14 items are mostly informational. However, you should check if there was also an amount in Box 12 with "code" C -'that s where the taxable portion of group term life insurance would be reported, and that DOES affect yourtaxes.

0 coins