Treat income from employer-provided education assistance as fringe benefits when you report them in Box 1 on a W2 form. Employers enter the value of different fringe benefits on a W-2 in:
- Box 1
- Box 3
- Box 5
Tax-free fringe benefits for employees’ educational expenses reach the limit at $5,250.
All parties must generally regard employer-provided education assistance as taxable income if it exceeds $5,250. An exception is if you hire a worker and classify their education as a qualified, working-condition, fringe benefit. Make sure that you and employees understand the differences and what is expected from you before anyone signs an agreement.
Reminder: File 1099-NEC forms when you report non-employee compensation that you paid in 2025. The 2025 deadline for Form 1099-NEC is Feb. 2, 2026.
People Also Ask
- Are all fringe benefits taxable? – No, but most do require you to report them. Federal income tax, Social Security tax, Medicare tax, and FUTA all influence the value of a fringe benefit.
- How do I report income from employee educational scholarships on a W-2 form? – If you accept a graduate or other type of student earning income through an assistantship, you should report income from that employee’s educational scholarships in Box 1.
Our W2/1099 Forms Filer software provides a description of the field that you use on a tax form at the top of your selected form. Download our free 1099-etc Demo software to get comfortable using our intuitive interface before reporting any employee income.