What Does Box 12 Code HH Mean on a W-2?
Aggregate deferrals under section 83(i) elections. 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 HH is aggregate deferrals under section 83(i) elections.
What Code HH means
The total income deferred under section 83(i) elections as of the end of the year, which applies to qualified equity grants at eligible private companies.
Does Code HH affect my taxes?
Informational, tracking deferred equity income. It pairs with Code GG, which reports income from qualified equity grants.
What to do about it
Nothing at filing time for the deferral itself. The income becomes taxable when the deferral period ends.
Where to find Code HH 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 HH. 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.