An employee's gross for the year is 30,000. In which box on Form W-2 must employer-provided dependent care assistance be included when it exceeds $5,000?

When employer-provided dependent care assistance exceeds $5,000, it must be reported in several key boxes on the Form W-2. Specifically, it is included in Box 1 (Wages, tips, other compensation), Box 3 (Social Security wages), Box 5 (Medicare wages), and Box 10 (Dependent care benefits).

This comprehensive reporting ensures that the dependent care assistance is recognized for all applicable withholding calculations and provides a clear accounting of all taxable income for the employee. Box 1 captures the total taxable income, which includes the dependent care benefits when they exceed the exclusion limit. Box 3 and Box 5 reflect the amounts subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes, respectively, which are applicable to these benefits as they are considered part of the employee's total compensation package. Finally, Box 10 specifically shows the total dependent care benefits provided during the year.

Including the benefits in all these boxes is crucial for accurate tax reporting and ensures compliance with IRS regulations regarding the treatment of such benefits.