nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Confusion over NY PFL vs FLI in W-2 section

benny

When filling out my W-2 on box 14, in other I enter the description "NY PFL" and enter the amount, no problem.

The following page: (image removed)

then asks if you have State Disability Insurance (SDI) or Family Leave Insurance (FLI) shown in box 14 or 19.

Do I select "No" here? - assuming NY PFL is technically different than FLI?

Do I select "Yes" and leave the amount for FLI blank? While also leaving the previous amount entered in box 14 on the previous page?

Or should I leave box 14 on the previous page blank and enter the "NY PFL" amount where I'm asked to enter "IF any Family Leave Insurance (FLI) was withheld? Entering it just as FLI?

Or both enter NY PFL into my W-2 box 14 and also re-enter the same amount onto the third question asking "if any Family Leave Insurance (FLI) was withheld"?

Find more posts tagged with

Accepted answers

WrenD

https://community.freetaxusa.com/discussion/1205/confusion-over-ny-pfl-vs-fli-in-w-2-section

To simplify this discussion and provide a clear answer, I'd like to answer the original question specifically. In short, FLI is the same as NYPFL.

Do I select "No" here? - assuming NY PFL is technically different than FLI?	No. NYPFL = FLI
Do I select "Yes" and leave the amount for FLI blank? While also leaving the previous amount entered in box 14 on the previous page?	No. You select Yes, but will fill in FLI.
Or should I leave box 14 on the previous page blank and enter the "NY PFL" amount where I'm asked to enter "IF any Family Leave Insurance (FLI) was withheld? Entering it just as FLI?	No. You should keep the W-2 entry exactly as reported on your W-2.
Or both enter NY PFL into my W-2 box 14 and also re-enter the same amount onto the third question asking "if any Family Leave Insurance (FLI) was withheld"?	Yes. This is correct!

The software asks for it because any amount you paid into the Paid Family Leave program is treated as a tax. As a result, it may be deductible as an itemized deduction on your return, and the software needs that information to calculate your deductible state and local taxes correctly.

All comments

CoryF

Thank you for joining our community, Ben NY

Making sure you are able to enter the correct value in the right box is very important to us. As part of FreeTaxUSA, I found more information on the Paid Family Leave program with NY. This is actually Family leave insurance. I found this excerpt from the NY government website:

"New York Paid Family Leave is insurance that is funded by employees through payroll deductions. Each year, the Department of Financial Services sets the employee contribution rate to match the cost of coverage. Pursuant to the Department of Tax Notice No. N-17-12 [PDF], Paid Family Leave contributions are deducted from employees’ after-tax wages."

Since this is another Family Leave Insurance (FLI), it is reasonable to enter the $200 as the third box labeled "If any Family Leave Insurance (FLI) was withheld from your wages and is shown in box 14 of this W-2, enter this amount"

CaSa_718

I have the same question but the images were removed.

Can someone please clarify the answer - Are NYPFL and FLI the same? And should the NYPFL amount listed in box 14 of my W2 tax form be added to FreeTaxUSA screen asking about FLI listed in box 14?

CoryF

Thank you for this question.

They are not the same. FLI is for Family Leave Insurance and Paid Family Leave is taxable income. See the FAQ below:

Paid Family Leave is taxable income. It is usually reported on Form 1099-G, and you enter it in the same place on the FreeTaxUSA software that you would enter unemployment compensation.

Unemployment Compensation Income (Form 1099-G)

Occasionally, Paid Family Leave is included on a Form W-2 instead of a Form 1099-G. In that case, just enter your W-2 like normal, and your PFL will be taxed like any other wages.

You only need to enter the FLI amount shown in box 14 of your W-2.

ly.b

@CoryF

Can you clarify once more? Your responses seem to contradict one another:

From July 2024

From March 24, 2025

Paid Family Leave is taxable income… Occasionally, Paid Family Leave is included on a Form @W-2 instead of a Form 1099-G. In that case, just enter your W-2 like normal, and your PFL will be taxed like any other wages.

CoryF

Thank you for this observation

Our software FAQ shows that occasionally Paid Family Leave benefits are shown in Box 14 of the W-2.

Looking at your W-2 does the amount in your W-2 box 14 show paid family leave benefits or Family Leave insurance withholding?

If you need further assistance with more support outside of this public community, please contact our support staff using the options in your Support center. There is a dropdown menu next to Account in the upper right-hand corner of your account screen.

ly.b

W-2 box 14 has an amount listed as NY PFL

When I uploaded the pdf of my W-2, it automatically entered the amount under Box 14 - Other as NY PFL. Should I also list this same amount when prompted on the following page: "Do you have any State Disability Insurance (SDI) or Family Leave Insurance (FLI) shown in Box 14 or Box 19 of this W-2?

jcrafty

Just found the answer when I clicked the (?) and wanted to share (see the last line):

How do I know if I have SDI, VPDI, SUI, or FLI in Box 14 or Box 19 of this W-2?

Certain states withhold State Disability Insurance (SDI), Voluntary Plan Disability Insurance (VPDI), State Unemployment Insurance (SUI), or Family Leave Insurance (FLI) from your wages. If you have these withholdings, these amounts are typically reported in Box 14 or Box 19 of your W-2.

Box 14 and Box 19 may show different types of withholdings than the ones mentioned above, so we need to know which of those amounts are SDI, VPDI, SUI, or FLI. Box 19 usually won't show a code.

If you have questions about the amounts or codes shown on your W-2(s), you should contact your company's HR representative.

Your state may also refer to Family Leave Insurance as Paid Family Leave or Paid Medical Leave.

CoryF

That is correct, Ly.b.

The W-2 box 14 is not a field that transfers information directly to the right place like the other boxes on the W-2. The following page clarifies what information needs to be reported and the entry on that screen will be transferred to the right place in your tax return.

adj2116

@CoryF your responses are extremely unhelpful being that you gave 2 conflicting answers here. how bout a clear, concise, and definitive one since you are wearing a Tax Pro badge and users are trusting you? are NY PFL and NY FLI synonymous terms on FreeTaxUSA—yes or no, please? (It shouldn't take a year to get an answer to this…)

MatthewD

Hi adj2116,

PFL and FLI are very similar, but they are not the same in our software. PFL is Paid Family Leave and FLI is Family Leave Insurance. The first may be a payment while you were on family leave and the second, FLI, is a deduction to pay for the insurance program.

So be cautious on how you report PFL. It generally is included on the W-2 and reported as Other Income as taxable non-wage income.

MattM

I have the same question a year later, as this still has not been answered with a simple yes or no. I have not been on family leave at any time this past year. My Box 14 also lists an amount under NY PFL. The question on the FreeTaxUSA form, is:

Do you have any State Disability Insurance (SDI) or Family Leave Insurance (FLI) shown in Box 14 or Box 19 of this W-2?

Does NY PFL count for this question, Yes or No?

Austyn

Hi,

The short answer is: Yes, NY PFL in Box 14 of your W-2 counts as FLI for that question in our software.

Here's why. NY PFL shown in Box 14 is a payroll deduction — it's the insurance premium your employer withheld from your wages to fund the Paid Family Leave program. The New York government website confirms that "employers should report employee contributions on Form W-2 using Box 14 – State disability insurance taxes withheld." https://paidfamilyleave.ny.gov/cost

Our software FAQ also confirms this directly: "Your state may also refer to Family Leave Insurance as Paid Family Leave or Paid Medical Leave."

So here's exactly what to do:

1. Enter your W-2 Box 14 as normal with the description "NY PFL" and the amount.
2. On the following page asking about SDI/FLI, select Yes.
3. Enter that same NY PFL amount in the field for Family Leave Insurance (FLI).

cccc

Surely this is an AI response ^

pancikyfloppy

https://community.freetaxusa.com/discussion/comment/7741#Comment_7741

I agree, but it is right. NYPFL in box 14 is almost always reported the amount deducted that gets contributed to the fund and is the same as what some other states call FLI. That must be why FreeTaxUSA lists it as FLI. Just put the amount listed for NYPFL in the FLI box.

The only time that wouldn’t be correct is if your employer is reporting the income you received from the fund (which should be a much larger number and is most commonly reported on 1099-G).

WrenD

https://community.freetaxusa.com/discussion/1205/confusion-over-ny-pfl-vs-fli-in-w-2-section

To simplify this discussion and provide a clear answer, I'd like to answer the original question specifically. In short, FLI is the same as NYPFL.

Do I select "No" here? - assuming NY PFL is technically different than FLI?	No. NYPFL = FLI
Do I select "Yes" and leave the amount for FLI blank? While also leaving the previous amount entered in box 14 on the previous page?	No. You select Yes, but will fill in FLI.
Or should I leave box 14 on the previous page blank and enter the "NY PFL" amount where I'm asked to enter "IF any Family Leave Insurance (FLI) was withheld? Entering it just as FLI?	No. You should keep the W-2 entry exactly as reported on your W-2.
Or both enter NY PFL into my W-2 box 14 and also re-enter the same amount onto the third question asking "if any Family Leave Insurance (FLI) was withheld"?	Yes. This is correct!