What Does Box 12 Code C Mean on a W-2?
Group-term life insurance over $50,000. What it means, whether it is taxable, and what to do with it.
By the Easy Guides Editorial Team · Updated for 2026
Box 12 Code C is group-term life insurance over $50,000.
What Code C means
Employers must add the value of coverage over $50,000 to your income. You don't do anything extra with Code C at tax time.
Does Code C affect my taxes?
The cost of employer-provided group-term life insurance above $50,000 is a taxable fringe benefit. It's already included in your taxable wages (Boxes 1, 3, and 5), so Code C is just showing you how much came from this benefit.
Where to find Code C on your W-2
Look at box 12, in the middle-right of the form. It has up to four lines, labelled 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d. Those letters are only line labels. The code you want is the small letter or pair of letters printed next to the amount, and it will read C. If you have more than four entries, your employer issues a second W-2 to carry the rest.
Not the code you were looking for? The full box 12 code list covers every letter, and the W-2 box decoder explains every box on the form.