Understanding what Box 14 on my W-2 means - need help decoding these entries

Box 14 on your W-2 is basically a catch-all section where employers put additional information that doesn't fit elsewhere on the form. The codes you're seeing are specific to New Jersey state taxes. "NJSUI/SDI" refers to New Jersey State Unemployment Insurance and State Disability Insurance that was withheld from your paycheck. "NJWFD" is the New Jersey Workforce Development tax. These are state-specific payroll taxes that your employer is required to withhold. The good news is that you typically don't need to do anything special with Box 14 information when filing your federal taxes. Most tax software automatically handles this information when you enter your W-2. These particular items are state-specific deductions that have already been accounted for in your state wages.

I went through similar confusion with my W-2 Box 14 last year. After struggling with conflicting info online, I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which was super helpful for decoding these weird tax form entries. I just uploaded my W-2 and it explained every box, including the Box 14 entries which were similar NJ deductions. It gave me clear explanations of what each code meant and whether I needed to report them anywhere.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that someone mentioned above. It actually worked really well for my situation! I uploaded my W-2 and 1099s and got clear explanations for everything, including those Box 14 codes I was confused about. It even pointed out that one of my 1099-NEC forms was missing my taxpayer ID number which could have caused problems. Saved me from potentially getting a letter from the IRS later. Definitely worth checking out if you're confused by any entries on your tax forms.

If you're still stuck on Box 14 issues and need to talk to an actual IRS agent (which I know can be nearly impossible), I tried Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) after waiting on hold for 2+ hours myself. They somehow get you through the IRS phone system and have an actual agent call you back. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I was skeptical but it got me through to someone who confirmed that my NJ Box 14 entries didn't need to be reported separately on my federal return.

I was totally wrong about Claimyr being a scam. After struggling for weeks to get through to someone at the IRS about my tax situation, I decided to try it as a last resort. It actually worked! I got a call back about 45 minutes after signing up, and it was a real IRS agent on the line. They answered my questions about the Box 14 entries and some other issues I was having. Saved me hours of frustration and hold music. Sorry for being so skeptical before, but dealing with the IRS has made me paranoid I guess.

If it helps, here's what those specific NJ codes in Box 14 actually mean: - NJSUI/SDI: New Jersey State Unemployment Insurance/State Disability Insurance (0.425% of wages up to $156,800 in 2024) - NJWFD: New Jersey Workforce Development Partnership Fund (0.0425% of taxable wages) These are state payroll taxes that are automatically withheld. The amounts are typically small percentages of your wages up to certain limits.

Just wanted to add that Box 14 stuff varies a lot by state and employer. I've had everything from union dues to company car values show up there. It's basically the "miscellaneous" box for employers to report anything that doesn't fit elsewhere on the W-2.

As someone who's dealt with Box 14 confusion for years, I'd recommend keeping a copy of your pay stubs alongside your W-2. The codes in Box 14 usually match up with deductions you see throughout the year on your paystubs, which can help you understand what each entry represents. For New Jersey specifically, those NJSUI/SDI and NJWFD codes are standard - every NJ employee will see these. The amounts should roughly match what you'd calculate using the percentages Ryan mentioned above. If there's a big discrepancy, that might be worth checking with your payroll department, but otherwise you're all set!

One thing I learned the hard way is to double-check that your employer coded everything correctly in Box 14. Last year my company accidentally put my parking benefits under the wrong code and it caused confusion when I was doing my taxes. Most of the time Box 14 entries are just informational like everyone said, but occasionally there might be something that affects your tax liability. For NJ specifically, those codes you mentioned are totally standard and won't impact your actual tax calculation - they're just showing what was already withheld. But it's always worth taking a few minutes to understand what each entry means, especially if you see any codes you don't recognize. Better to ask now than get surprised later!