W-2 form box 14 shows \ - What does this symbol mean?

The backslash symbol (\) in Box 14 of your W-2 is actually not a standardized IRS code. Box 14 is where employers can list additional information that doesn't fit elsewhere on the form. Each company can use their own codes or abbreviations here. The backslash could be part of your employer's internal coding system for things like union dues, educational assistance, health insurance premiums not included elsewhere, or various other benefits/deductions. It might even be a separator between different types of information. Your best approach is to ask your company's payroll department what this specific notation means. They created the W-2, so they're the only ones who can tell you exactly what they intended by that symbol.

I had this exact confusion last year! After hours of searching online, I eventually used taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to help identify what all these weird codes on my W-2 meant. I uploaded a picture of my W-2 and it analyzed all the boxes, including those cryptic box 14 entries. Turns out mine was showing my employer-paid disability insurance premiums with a weird separator symbol. The tool explained that box 14 codes vary by employer and gave me a detailed breakdown of what each entry meant in my situation. Saved me from having to wait days for HR to respond to my email.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai like I asked about. I was honestly impressed! I uploaded my W-2 with that weird handwritten backslash symbol in box 14, and it actually identified it as part of our company's coding for parking benefits. It flagged the handwritten part and gave me information about how parking benefits are typically handled on taxes. I confirmed with our payroll person and that's exactly what it was! The system even explained that these parking benefits are generally not taxable up to certain limits, which was helpful to know. Didn't need to enter anything special in my tax software for it, just needed to understand what it was. Way faster than waiting for HR to get back to me.

If you're still struggling with this W-2 issue or any other tax questions, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation last year with weird codes on my tax forms and couldn't get answers from my company's HR since they outsource payroll. I was shocked when Claimyr actually got me through to a real IRS agent in about 15 minutes when the normal wait time was over 2 hours! The agent explained exactly what I needed to know about unusual W-2 entries and how to report them. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c

I have to apologize for my skeptical comment earlier. I was frustrated after spending 3+ hours on hold with the IRS last week. I decided to try Claimyr out of desperation to ask about some weird entries on my W-2 (including something similar to that backslash issue). I'm shocked to say it actually worked! Got connected to an IRS representative in about 20 minutes. The agent explained that Box 14 entries are employer-specific and varied widely. She recommended contacting my payroll department but also explained that most Box 14 items don't affect federal tax returns anyway. The time saved was honestly worth it. I've now spent more time writing this comment than I spent waiting for the IRS, which is a first for me.

One trick I've used for weird W-2 box 14 entries is to compare with coworkers. Sometimes they've already figured it out or asked HR. In my company, we had similar backslashes as separators between different benefit codes. Also check your last paystub of the year - sometimes the full descriptions appear there but get abbreviated on the W-2.

When I imported my W-2 into TurboTax, it automatically recognized some of the box 14 codes but had a question mark next to the backslash. Has anyone tried different tax software to see if some handle these unusual codes better than others?