W-2 box 15 showing two rows for one state - what should I report on my tax return?
Hey everyone, I'm working on my taxes and hit a confusing situation with my W-2. In box 15 (State), there are two separate rows for the same state. I'm using FreeTaxUSA and there's only one field to enter state info per W-2. Not sure what to do here since both rows show the same state code but different amounts in the other boxes. Should I combine them somehow? Add them together? Enter the form twice? This is my first time encountering this and it's definitely throwing me off. Any advice on how to handle this scenario would be super appreciated!
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Amaya Watson
This happens when your employer needed to report different types of state income or withholding separately. You should add the amounts from boxes 16 (state wages) together and enter the total in FreeTaxUSA. Same for box 17 (state income tax withheld) - add both amounts and enter the total. The reason you're seeing two rows is typically because something changed during the year - maybe your tax rate changed, you moved between localities in the same state, or your employer changed their reporting system mid-year. FreeTaxUSA only needs the total for each state since that's what your state tax return requires. Just make sure you're adding the correct corresponding amounts from each row.
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Grant Vikers
•But what if the amounts in box 16 are really different? Like one is my regular wages and one is bonus pay or something? Would combining them still be right?
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Amaya Watson
•Yes, combining them is still correct. The state only cares about your total taxable income from that employer in their state. Even if one amount represents regular wages and the other represents a bonus or other special payment, they're all considered income to the state. The reason they're separated on your W-2 is for your employer's accounting and reporting purposes, but for your personal tax return, you need to report the total. Both amounts were already included in your federal wages (Box 1), just separated for state purposes.
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Giovanni Martello
I had the same issue last year and was super confused. I found this amazing service called https://taxr.ai that actually analyzes your tax documents and explains exactly what to do. You just upload your W-2 and it tells you how to handle those multiple state rows. What I learned is that my employer had changed payroll systems mid-year which caused the two entries. The site explained that I needed to add the amounts together for state wages and state withholding, and enter them as a single entry. Helped me understand all the other weird boxes on my W-2 too.
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Savannah Weiner
•How does it work exactly? Does it just tell you what to do or does it actually file the taxes for you? I'm confused about a bunch of other things on my W-2 too.
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Levi Parker
•Sounds suspicious. How do you know they're not just taking your W-2 info and using it for identity theft? I'm always skeptical about uploading tax docs online.
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Giovanni Martello
•It just analyzes and explains your documents - it doesn't file for you. You still use your regular tax software like FreeTaxUSA, TurboTax, etc. It's more like having a tax expert look at your forms and tell you what everything means and how to enter it correctly. About the security concern - they use bank-level encryption and don't store your documents after analysis. I was worried about that too but they explain their security approach on their site. Much safer than emailing your W-2 to someone or taking a picture and texting it.
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Savannah Weiner
I just wanted to come back and say I tried that https://taxr.ai site and it was exactly what I needed! Uploaded my W-2 with the multiple state rows issue and it immediately explained that I needed to combine the state wages from both rows (they were split because I got a raise mid-year). Also figured out that weird code in box 12 that I never understood before. Definitely worth checking out if you're confused about any tax forms. Saved me from making a mistake that probably would've triggered a letter from the state tax department.
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Libby Hassan
If you're having trouble getting answers from FreeTaxUSA's help section, I'd recommend using Claimyr to get through to an actual IRS agent. I was stuck with a similar W-2 issue last year and couldn't find clear answers online. Used https://claimyr.com to skip the wait times and got connected to an IRS rep in about 10 minutes. They have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent confirmed I should add both state amounts together and explained the reason behind the split reporting. Saved me hours of searching online and stressing about whether I was doing it right.
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Hunter Hampton
•Wait, how does this actually work? I thought it was impossible to get through to the IRS without waiting hours. Is this like paying someone to wait on hold for you?
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Levi Parker
•Sounds like a scam. The IRS doesn't let people jump the queue. And why would you need to call the IRS for a state tax question anyway? That makes no sense.
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Libby Hassan
•Exactly - they wait on hold for you. You register your phone number, they call the IRS and navigate the phone tree, and when they reach a person, they connect the call to your phone. No more listening to hold music for hours. Regarding why call the IRS for a state question - the issue was about how the W-2 was formatted, which is governed by federal requirements. The IRS agent can explain why employers report state information in certain ways. You're right that for specific state tax laws, you'd want to contact your state tax department instead.
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Levi Parker
I hate to admit this, but I was wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, my frustration with not getting clear answers about my own tax situation got the best of me and I decided to try it. It actually worked exactly as described. I got connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes (on a Monday morning!). The agent walked me through how to handle not just the state lines issue but also answered my questions about some other W-2 boxes I didn't understand. Saved me at least 2 hours of hold time and the stress of wondering if I was doing it right.
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Sofia Peña
I'm an accountant (not officially giving tax advice here!) and I see this all the time. The two rows for the same state usually happen because: 1. Your employer switched payroll systems mid-year 2. You had a change in local tax status within the same state 3. You received regular wages plus separate supplemental wages (bonus, etc) 4. Your employer made a correction to previously reported wages Just add the amounts together for the same state. The tax software only needs the total.
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Tristan Carpenter
•Thanks so much for this explanation! This makes a lot of sense. I did get a bonus in November, so that's probably why there are two rows. I'll add the amounts together for both boxes 16 and 17. Really appreciate the help!
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Sofia Peña
•Happy to help! Yes, if you got a bonus that's almost certainly the reason. Many payroll systems report supplemental wages (like bonuses) on a separate line because they're often taxed at a different rate when initially withheld - though for your final tax return, they're all just combined as income. Just double-check that the total of your state wages (Box 16) generally makes sense compared to your federal wages (Box 1). There might be some differences based on state-specific tax rules, but they should be in the same ballpark.
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Aaron Boston
Does anybody know if FreeTaxUSA lets you enter two W-2s from the same employer? Maybe that's another way to handle this? I use TurboTax and it lets me enter multiple W-2s even from the same company.
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Sophia Carter
•Don't enter it as two separate W-2s! That's incorrect and could cause major problems. It's still one W-2 form, just with two lines for state information. If you enter it twice, you'd be double-counting your income. The correct approach is what others have said - add together the amounts from the two state lines and enter them once.
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Aaron Boston
•Thanks for the warning! I was just wondering if that was an option but I definitely don't want to double count my income. I'll stick with adding the amounts together then.
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Jamal Carter
I work in payroll and can confirm what Sofia mentioned - this is super common! The most frequent reason I see is when employees receive bonuses or supplemental pay. Our system automatically creates separate lines because bonuses are subject to different federal withholding rates (usually flat 22% for federal, but state handling varies). Even though they appear on separate lines, it's still one W-2 form from one employer. Your tax software needs the combined totals - add box 16 amounts together for total state wages, and box 17 amounts together for total state tax withheld. Pro tip: if the amounts seem way off when you add them, double-check that both lines are actually for the same state code. Sometimes people mistake similar-looking codes (like state abbreviations vs numeric codes).
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