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

Thanks for explaining, but I'm still confused. My W-2 box 14 says "NJSUI/WD" and the amount is $378.52. There's no exact match in the TurboTax dropdown. Would I just pick "Other" then? And will this affect my refund amount?

" NJSUI/WD stands for New Jersey State Unemployment Insurance/Workforce Development. In the TurboTax dropdown, look for anything related "to State Unemployment" Insurance "or State Disability" Insurance - that would be the closest match. This is typically a mandatory withholding for New Jersey workers, and selecting the right category helps ensure your state tax return is accurate. It probably'won t affect your federal refund, but it could impact your New Jersey state refund calculation since these are generally deductible on your statereturn.

Does this actually work with handwritten notes in box 14? My employer literally wrote "SEV PAY" in pen on my W-2, and I have no idea what category that falls under in TurboTax.

I'm skeptical about uploading my W-2 to some random website. How do you know it's secure? Does it store your tax documents after analyzing them?

Yes, it actually does work with handwritten notes! The system can recognize most handwriting on tax forms - I had a similar situation with a notation my employer added in pen, and it figured it out. "SEV PAY" is definitely severance pay, which has specific tax implications. Regarding security concerns, I was hesitant at first too. The site uses bank-level encryption and explicitly states they don't store your documents after processing. They analyze the document and then provide results without keeping your sensitive info. I researched them pretty thoroughly before trying it since I'm paranoid about my tax docs too.

How exactly does this work? I thought it was impossible to get through to the IRS. Are you saying this service somehow jumps the phone queue?

Sounds like a scam to me. If no one can get through to the IRS, how is this service magically able to do it? They're probably just connecting you to some random "tax expert" who isn't actually from the IRS.

It uses an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and stays on hold for you. When it reaches a live agent, it calls you so you can connect directly with the IRS. It's basically holding your place in line so you don't have to sit there listening to hold music for hours. It's definitely the real IRS - you're connected directly to their official phone line, just without the waiting. They don't impersonate IRS agents or anything like that. The service just handles the frustrating part of getting through the phone system. Once you're connected, you're talking to the same IRS representatives anyone else would reach after waiting for hours.

I tried looking at my paystub but the descriptions are just as confusing! My box 14 shows "Vol. Ben" with $1,240.75 and my paystub just says the same thing. Any idea what that might be? I'm using TurboTax and none of the dropdown options seem to match.

Vol." Ben almost certainly stands "for Voluntary" Benefits. This would typically be for optional benefits'you ve elected to pay for through payroll deductions - things like additional life insurance, legal insurance plans, or supplemental health coverage beyond what your employer provides as standard. In TurboTax,'you d want to look for a category "like Voluntary" Benefits or "possibly Other Insurance" Premiums if'there s no exact match. If nothing seems close, "select" Other and add a note explaining'it s for voluntary benefits. These are generally after-tax deductions, so they usually'don t affect your tax calculations but are included for informationalpurposes.

I completely agree! I have "Vol LTD" in box 14 and had no idea what it meant. Called my company's HR department and they explained it's "Voluntary Long-Term Disability Insurance" which apparently needs to be entered a specific way. The TurboTax dropdown actually had this as an option once I knew what to look for.

Wait, so if you select the wrong category in TurboTax for a box 14 item, could you actually end up paying wrong amount of taxes? Now I'm worried because I just picked "Other" for everything in my box 14 last year...

In some cases, yes! For items like taxable moving expenses, group term life insurance over $50,000, certain educational benefits, or taxable fringe benefits, choosing the wrong category could impact your tax calculation. These specific items need to be properly categorized because they might be included in your taxable income. For most other Box 14 items that are just informational (like state disability insurance payments or union dues), it typically won't affect your federal taxes, though it could still impact state tax calculations. If you're concerned about last year's return, you might want to double-check what those "Other" items actually were. You can always file an amended return if needed!