Got your 2025 W-2 in your hands? Good. The first thing to know: you don't need a tax degree to figure this out. The OBBBA "No Tax on Overtime" deduction lets eligible W-2 workers deduct part of their overtime pay from federal income tax, but the amount you can deduct isn't usually labeled as "deduction" anywhere on your W-2 — you have to find or calculate the qualified overtime premium. This guide shows you exactly how, in plain language.
If you're not sure whether you qualify in the first place, take two minutes to read Who Qualifies for the Overtime Tax Deduction before continuing. The short version: you need to be a W-2 employee who's FLSA non-exempt (paid time-and-a-half for hours over 40/week) and not filing as Married Filing Separately.
The Two-Year Transition: 2025 vs. 2026 Rules
The OBBBA was signed into law in July 2025, after most employers had already set up their 2025 payroll systems. To avoid chaos, the IRS released Notice 2025-62 giving employers penalty relief for tax year 2025 — meaning they don't have to separately report overtime on W-2s yet. Some employers chose to do it voluntarily; many didn't. Starting with tax year 2026, separate reporting becomes mandatory.
Here's the side-by-side:
| Tax Year 2025 | Tax Year 2026 & Later | |
|---|---|---|
| Employer reporting | Voluntary — penalty relief under IRS Notice 2025-62 | Mandatory — separate accounting required |
| Where to find it | Box 14 ("Other") if employer reported it | Dedicated W-2 field — likely a new Box 12 code (TBD by IRS) |
| Box 14 label | Varies: "OT", "QUAL OT", "FLSA OT", "OBBBTT", etc. | Standardized IRS code, label finalized by employers |
| If not on W-2 | Calculate from pay stubs (IRS Notice 2025-69) | Should always be on W-2; ask employer to correct if missing |
| Form to file with | Schedule 1-A on Form 1040 | Schedule 1-A on Form 1040 |
The takeaway: 2025 is messy, 2026 will be cleaner. The IRS has not yet finalized the exact W-2 location for 2026 reporting as of mid-2026 — early signals point to a new code under Box 12, but the specific letter is still being decided. Whatever it ends up being, your 2026 W-2 will show the qualified overtime amount in a labeled, standardized field.
Step-by-Step: Find Your Amount on a 2025 W-2
If your employer chose to report your overtime premium voluntarily for 2025, it's almost certainly in Box 14. Here's where Box 14 sits on a typical W-2 form:
- Locate Box 14. It's labeled "Other" and sits in the lower-right area of your W-2, just below Box 12.
- Read the labels. Box 14 isn't standardized — your employer picked the labels. Look for anything mentioning overtime: "OT", "QUAL OT", "FLSA OT", "OBBBTT", "OBBBA OT", or "Qualified Overtime".
- Note the dollar amount. The number next to that label is your qualified overtime premium for the year. This is the figure you'll enter on Schedule 1-A.
- Don't see overtime in Box 14? Move on to Section 3 — your employer didn't voluntarily report it. That's allowed for 2025, and you can still claim the deduction.
- Have a digital W-2? Same boxes, same logic. The labels and layout on your payroll provider's portal (ADP, Paychex, Gusto, Workday) match the paper form.
What If Box 14 Is Blank or Missing Overtime?
Don't panic. For tax year 2025, your employer was not required to break out overtime separately — the IRS gave employers a one-year grace period. If your W-2 doesn't show it, you can still claim the deduction by calculating the qualified overtime premium yourself, using a method approved by IRS Notice 2025-69.
What you'll need
- Your final 2025 pay stub (the last one of the year, which usually shows year-to-date totals), or
- A year-end pay summary from your employer (some employers issue these even when they don't update Box 14), or
- Access to your payroll portal showing 2025 totals (ADP, Workday, Paychex, etc.)
The IRS-approved shortcut: divide by 3
This is the easiest method, and it works for any worker paid standard time-and-a-half (1.5×) overtime. The IRS spells it out in Notice 2025-69 with worked examples. The logic: time-and-a-half pay is the regular rate plus a half-time premium. The premium is exactly one-third of the total time-and-a-half pay, every time.
So if your year-end pay summary shows a "Total Overtime" line of $5,940 — meaning all the 1.5× pay you received for OT hours combined — your qualified overtime premium is $5,940 ÷ 3 = $1,980. That's the number you'd enter on Schedule 1-A.
The longhand method: calculate from regular and OT rates
If your pay stub breaks out hours and rates (most do), you can calculate the premium directly. The formula is simply your regular rate × 0.5 × overtime hours.
For example, if your regular rate is $22/hour and you worked 180 overtime hours during 2025, your qualified premium is $22 × 0.5 × 180 = $1,980. Same answer as the divide-by-3 method, just calculated differently. Use whichever is easier given the records you have.
Pay Stub Calculation — Three Worked Examples
Here are three real-life scenarios showing how to find your qualified overtime premium when your W-2 doesn't break it out.
Maria works at a hospital, paid $42/hour regular rate. Her final 2025 pay stub shows 240 overtime hours for the year. Her employer didn't put anything in Box 14 about overtime.
James earns $25/hour at an auto-parts plant. His year-end pay summary lists "Total Overtime Pay" as $9,375 but doesn't break out the premium portion. He uses the IRS divide-by-3 shortcut.
Tasha is a non-exempt retail department manager paid $19/hour. Her final pay stub shows 88 OT hours for the year and her overall OT pay as a separate line.
Now calculate your exact tax savings →
Plug your overtime premium into our free calculator to see how much federal tax you'll actually save.
Open the CalculatorWhat Records to Keep for the IRS
If you calculated your overtime premium from pay stubs rather than copying it from a Box 14 figure, hold on to that documentation. The IRS standard audit window is three years from your filing date, so keep these records for at least that long — longer if you can.
Documents to save
- Your 2025 W-2 — even if Box 14 is blank, the W-2 itself is required documentation.
- Pay stubs — at minimum, your final 2025 pay stub showing year-to-date totals. Better: save every pay stub from the year. Most payroll portals let you download PDF copies.
- Year-end pay summary — if your employer issued one (sometimes called an "earnings statement" or "annual pay summary").
- Any written communication from your employer or HR confirming your FLSA non-exempt status, if you have it.
- A copy of your filed return with Schedule 1-A — keep both the PDF and your software's saved file.
If you used the divide-by-3 method or calculated by rate × 0.5 × hours, write down your math (or screenshot it from our calculator). It's not required, but if the IRS ever asks how you arrived at the number on your Schedule 1-A, having a clear paper trail makes the conversation much shorter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my employer didn't report overtime on my 2025 W-2?
You can still claim the deduction. For tax year 2025, separate W-2 reporting is voluntary under IRS Notice 2025-62. Notice 2025-69 lets you calculate the qualified overtime premium yourself using your pay stubs or year-end summary.
Either find a line item already labeled "overtime premium," or take the total overtime pay shown for the year and divide it by 3 (for time-and-a-half) to get the qualified premium.
Where exactly is Box 14 on the W-2 form?
Box 14 is in the lower-right section of your W-2, just below Box 12 and to the right of Box 13. It's labeled "Other" and is the only box on the form that uses employer-defined labels rather than IRS-standardized codes — that's why the labels for OBBBA overtime vary so much from employer to employer.
What labels should I look for in Box 14?
Employers used many different labels in 2025. Common ones include "OT", "QUAL OT", "FLSA OT", "OBBBTT", "OBBBA OT", or "Qualified Overtime."
If you see any of these followed by a dollar amount, that is your qualified overtime premium for the year. If you're unsure, ask your employer or HR department to confirm what the entry means.
Why do I divide by 3 instead of 2?
Time-and-a-half overtime pay is the regular rate plus a half-time premium — together that's 1.5 times the regular rate. The premium portion is one-third of the total time-and-a-half pay.
For example, if your regular rate is $20/hour, time-and-a-half is $30, and the premium portion is $10 — exactly one-third of $30. The IRS divide-by-3 shortcut works because of this fixed ratio.
What if I'm paid double-time, not time-and-a-half?
Only the FLSA-required half-time premium qualifies for the deduction, even if your employer pays double-time. The extra above the FLSA minimum doesn't count.
If your statement shows the full premium portion separately (one full hourly rate above regular), divide that by 2 to get the FLSA-required half-time portion. If your statement shows total double-time pay, divide by 4. The IRS provides examples of this in Notice 2025-69.
Will my 2026 W-2 look different?
Yes. Starting with tax year 2026, employers will be required to separately report qualified overtime compensation on a dedicated W-2 field. The IRS has signaled this will likely be a new code under Box 12, but the exact code letter has not yet been finalized as of mid-2026.
Whatever the field, you'll see an explicit dollar amount labeled as qualified overtime — no calculation needed.
Do I need to keep my pay stubs?
Yes — keep them for at least three years after filing, which is the IRS standard audit window. If you calculated your overtime premium from pay stubs rather than from a W-2 figure, those stubs are your documentation.
Save digital copies, scans, or screenshots, plus your W-2 and the year-end pay summary if your employer provides one.
Where do I actually claim the deduction on my tax return?
On Schedule 1-A of Form 1040, which is new starting with tax year 2025. The IRS released updated 2025 Form 1040 instructions including Schedule 1-A specifically for the OBBBA tip and overtime deductions.
Most major tax software (TurboTax, H&R Block, FreeTaxUSA) supports it for the 2025 filing season — the software will prompt you for your qualified overtime amount and put it in the right place automatically.
Can I still claim the deduction if I'm not sure I'm FLSA non-exempt?
You need to make a reasonable effort to confirm your FLSA status — typically by asking your employer or HR. Per IRS Notice 2025-69, you should not assume you qualify without checking.
If you're paid time-and-a-half for hours over 40 per week, that's strong evidence you're non-exempt. If you receive only straight pay for extra hours regardless of how many you work, you're likely exempt and don't qualify. Our Who Qualifies guide goes deeper on this.
Where Is the Overtime Deduction on TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA?
TurboTax: Go to Deductions & Credits → search "overtime deduction" or "Schedule 1-A". Enter your qualifying overtime premium amount.
FreeTaxUSA: In the Deductions section, look for "Other Deductions" → "OBBBA Overtime Deduction". Enter the amount from your W-2 Box 14 or your pay stub calculation.
For more filing questions, see our full overtime deduction FAQ.