Health, Medical, and Flexible Spending Accounts
The government offers several programs based on tax breaks that are designed to help you pay for you and your family’s medical expenses. The IRS calls them “tax-favored health plans”.
The government offers several programs based on tax breaks that are designed to help you pay for you and your family’s medical expenses. The IRS calls them “tax-favored health plans”.
You may be able to enroll in a Health Savings Account, a Medical Savings Account, a Flexible Spending Arrangement, and/or a Health Reimbursement Arrangement. This page covers a general overview of these four programs.
You may be able to enroll in a Health Savings Account, a Medical Savings Account, a Flexible Spending Arrangement, and/or a Health Reimbursement Arrangement. This page covers a general overview of these four programs.
Tax Tip: You can itemize and deduct medical expenses that are not covered by one of these health plans.
Tax Tip: You can itemize and deduct medical expenses that are not covered by one of these health plans.
A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a tax-exempt account used to pay or reimburse you and your family’s medical expenses if you are covered by a high-deductible health insurance plan. You or anyone else can contribute money to your HSA. You can take a tax deduction for money contributed to your HSA by anyone except your employer. The money you take out of the account is tax-free if you use it for qualified medical expenses (see a list of qualified medical expenses).
A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a tax-exempt account used to pay or reimburse you and your family’s medical expenses if you are covered by a high-deductible health insurance plan. You or anyone else can contribute money to your HSA. You can take a tax deduction for money contributed to your HSA by anyone except your employer. The money you take out of the account is tax-free if you use it for qualified medical expenses (see a list of qualified medical expenses).
You can set up a Health Savings Account through your employer, a bank, an insurance company, or another approved trustee. Health Savings Accounts are portable, so you can keep the account even if you change employers. The money in an HSA remains in the account until you spend it.
You can set up a Health Savings Account through your employer, a bank, an insurance company, or another approved trustee. Health Savings Accounts are portable, so you can keep the account even if you change employers. The money in an HSA remains in the account until you spend it.
The requirements to qualify for an HSA are:
The requirements to qualify for an HSA are:
For 2017 the contribution limit for Health Savings Accounts is $3,400 for individuals and $6,750 for families (plus $1,000 if you are 55 or older at the end of the year).
For 2017 the contribution limit for Health Savings Accounts is $3,400 for individuals and $6,750 for families (plus $1,000 if you are 55 or older at the end of the year).
Since Tax Year 2013, the contribution limits have been adjusted for inflation. You generally cannot make contributions to an HSA if you are covered by a Flexible Spending Account or a Health Reimbursement Account.
Since Tax Year 2013, the contribution limits have been adjusted for inflation. You generally cannot make contributions to an HSA if you are covered by a Flexible Spending Account or a Health Reimbursement Account.
If your employer made the contributions and they are listed on your W-2 or your contributions were made pre-taxed, then you should not report them on Form 8889. However, if you made the HSA contributions post-tax you should report them on Form 8889. The same applies for the HSA employer contribution.
If your employer made the contributions and they are listed on your W-2 or your contributions were made pre-taxed, then you should not report them on Form 8889. However, if you made the HSA contributions post-tax you should report them on Form 8889. The same applies for the HSA employer contribution.
Your gross (total) distributions from an HSA are reported to you on Form 1099-SA. When you file your tax return, you are required to report HSA contributions and HSA distributions on Form 8889 efile it , attached to Form 1040 efile it . When you prepare your return on efile.com, we will select the proper form(s) for you and help you to fill them out correctly.
Your gross (total) distributions from an HSA are reported to you on Form 1099-SA. When you file your tax return, you are required to report HSA contributions and HSA distributions on Form 8889 efile it , attached to Form 1040 efile it . When you prepare your return on efile.com, we will select the proper form(s) for you and help you to fill them out correctly.
An Archer Medical Savings Account (MSA) helps those employees of small businesses and self-employed people who are covered by a high-deductible health plan to pay the health care costs of themselves, their spouses, and their dependents. If you are employed, either you or your employer may contribute to your Archer MSA in any given year, but not both. If you are self-employed, only you can make contributions to your MSA.
An Archer Medical Savings Account (MSA) helps those employees of small businesses and self-employed people who are covered by a high-deductible health plan to pay the health care costs of themselves, their spouses, and their dependents. If you are employed, either you or your employer may contribute to your Archer MSA in any given year, but not both. If you are self-employed, only you can make contributions to your MSA.
You can set up an Archer MSA through your employer, a bank, an insurance company, or another financial institution. Medical Savings Accounts are portable, so you can keep the account even if you change employers, and the funds in an MSA remain in the account until you spend them.
You can set up an Archer MSA through your employer, a bank, an insurance company, or another financial institution. Medical Savings Accounts are portable, so you can keep the account even if you change employers, and the funds in an MSA remain in the account until you spend them.
You qualify for an Archer MSA if all of the following are true:
You qualify for an Archer MSA if all of the following are true:
If you are eligible to be covered by Medicare, then you cannot enroll in an Archer MSA, but you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage MSA. This is like an Archer MSA, but you can only use the funds from a Medicare Advantage MSA to pay your own qualified medical expenses.
If you are eligible to be covered by Medicare, then you cannot enroll in an Archer MSA, but you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage MSA. This is like an Archer MSA, but you can only use the funds from a Medicare Advantage MSA to pay your own qualified medical expenses.
If you make contributions to your MSA, you can deduct the contributions on your tax return even if you don’t itemize deductions, unless you are eligible to be claimed as someone else’s dependent for the year. Distributions from an MSA are tax-free if the money is spent on qualified medical expenses–such as expenses not covered by your health plan because you have not yet met the high deductible (see a list of qualified medical expenses).
If you make contributions to your MSA, you can deduct the contributions on your tax return even if you don’t itemize deductions, unless you are eligible to be claimed as someone else’s dependent for the year. Distributions from an MSA are tax-free if the money is spent on qualified medical expenses–such as expenses not covered by your health plan because you have not yet met the high deductible (see a list of qualified medical expenses).
The maximum annual contribution to an MSA is 75% of your family health plan’s annual deductible amount, or 65% of the deductible if you have a self-only plan. If you were not covered for the whole year by a high-deductible health plan, the maximum allowable contribution to your MSA is reduced by 1/12 per month in which you were not covered.
The maximum annual contribution to an MSA is 75% of your family health plan’s annual deductible amount, or 65% of the deductible if you have a self-only plan. If you were not covered for the whole year by a high-deductible health plan, the maximum allowable contribution to your MSA is reduced by 1/12 per month in which you were not covered.
You may be able to carry forward excess contributions to an MSA and deduct them in a future year. Generally, you can also roll over funds from an MSA to a Health Savings Account tax-free. There are no HSA contribution limits for rollovers, but you can only make one rollover contribution per 1-year period.
You may be able to carry forward excess contributions to an MSA and deduct them in a future year. Generally, you can also roll over funds from an MSA to a Health Savings Account tax-free. There are no HSA contribution limits for rollovers, but you can only make one rollover contribution per 1-year period.
Your total (gross) Archer or Medicare Advantage MSA distributions for the year will be reported to you on Form 1099-SA. When you file your tax return, you must report all distributions from your HSA–and contributions to your HSA–on Form 8853 efile it , which can only be attached to Form 1040 (Learn how to file Form 1040). We will automatically select this form for you on efile.com if you qualify for it based on your answers our tax interview.
Your total (gross) Archer or Medicare Advantage MSA distributions for the year will be reported to you on Form 1099-SA. When you file your tax return, you must report all distributions from your HSA–and contributions to your HSA–on Form 8853 efile it , which can only be attached to Form 1040 (Learn how to file Form 1040). We will automatically select this form for you on efile.com if you qualify for it based on your answers our tax interview.
A Flexible Spending Arrangement or Account (FSA) is an employer-sponsored account that helps you pay for you and your family’s medical expenses. An FSA is funded by voluntary paycheck withholding and by employer contributions. All money contributed to an FSA is completely tax-free for you. No payroll or income taxes are withheld from your contributions to an FSA, and contributions by your employer are excluded from your taxable income. Withdrawals from a Flexible Spending Account are tax-free if the money is spent on qualified medical expenses (see a list of qualified medical expenses).
A Flexible Spending Arrangement or Account (FSA) is an employer-sponsored account that helps you pay for you and your family’s medical expenses. An FSA is funded by voluntary paycheck withholding and by employer contributions. All money contributed to an FSA is completely tax-free for you. No payroll or income taxes are withheld from your contributions to an FSA, and contributions by your employer are excluded from your taxable income. Withdrawals from a Flexible Spending Account are tax-free if the money is spent on qualified medical expenses (see a list of qualified medical expenses).
You can only establish an FSA through your employer. Self-employed people are not eligible. You do not have to be covered by a high-deductible plan or by any other health plan to qualify for an FSA.
You can only establish an FSA through your employer. Self-employed people are not eligible. You do not have to be covered by a high-deductible plan or by any other health plan to qualify for an FSA.
The maximum amount you can contribute to an FSA through paycheck withholding is $2,600 for 2017. There is no IRS-imposed limit on the amount your employer can contribute. There may be other limits if you are considered a “highly compensated employee”.
The maximum amount you can contribute to an FSA through paycheck withholding is $2,600 for 2017. There is no IRS-imposed limit on the amount your employer can contribute. There may be other limits if you are considered a “highly compensated employee”.
At the beginning of each year in which you have a Flexible Spending Account, you must decide the amount that you will contribute to it over the course of the year. It is important not to contribute too much to an FSA, because FSAs are “use-it-or-lose-it”. This means that you must spend the money in the account by the end of the year or else any remaining amount is forfeited. However, your employer can provide up to a 2 and 1/2 month grace period for you to spend the money in the following year.
At the beginning of each year in which you have a Flexible Spending Account, you must decide the amount that you will contribute to it over the course of the year. It is important not to contribute too much to an FSA, because FSAs are “use-it-or-lose-it”. This means that you must spend the money in the account by the end of the year or else any remaining amount is forfeited. However, your employer can provide up to a 2 and 1/2 month grace period for you to spend the money in the following year.
It is also possible to roll over funds from an FSA to a Health Savings Account, tax-free. Rollover contributions to HSAs have no dollar amount limit, but you may only make one rollover contribution per 1-year period.
It is also possible to roll over funds from an FSA to a Health Savings Account, tax-free. Rollover contributions to HSAs have no dollar amount limit, but you may only make one rollover contribution per 1-year period.
You do not report Flexible Spending Account contributions nor distributions on your tax return.
You do not report Flexible Spending Account contributions nor distributions on your tax return.
A Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) is an employer-sponsored plan that reimburses you for the health care costs of you and your family. Your employer is the only one who can contribute to your HRA.
A Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) is an employer-sponsored plan that reimburses you for the health care costs of you and your family. Your employer is the only one who can contribute to your HRA.
An HRA is established by your employer, so self-employed individuals are not eligible. There is no requirement to be covered (or not covered) by any other type of health plan, so you can enroll in an HRA if it is offered by your employer, no matter what other health coverage you have (or do not have).
An HRA is established by your employer, so self-employed individuals are not eligible. There is no requirement to be covered (or not covered) by any other type of health plan, so you can enroll in an HRA if it is offered by your employer, no matter what other health coverage you have (or do not have).
Health Reimbursement Arrangements are solely funded by your employer, and your employer can set the maximum coverage amount. Employer contributions are tax-free income to you. Reimbursements are excluded from your taxable income if the money was spent on qualified health costs and medical expenses (see a list of qualified medical expenses). There may be some exceptions if you are considered a “highly compensated employee”.
Health Reimbursement Arrangements are solely funded by your employer, and your employer can set the maximum coverage amount. Employer contributions are tax-free income to you. Reimbursements are excluded from your taxable income if the money was spent on qualified health costs and medical expenses (see a list of qualified medical expenses). There may be some exceptions if you are considered a “highly compensated employee”.
Unlike FSA funds, unused funds in an HRA at the end of the year are not forfeited and can be carried forward to later years.
Unlike FSA funds, unused funds in an HRA at the end of the year are not forfeited and can be carried forward to later years.
Information about a Health Reimbursement Arrangement is not reported on your tax return.
Information about a Health Reimbursement Arrangement is not reported on your tax return.
For more details on any of the accounts and arrangements described above, please see Publication 969 – Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans.
For more details on any of the accounts and arrangements described above, please see Publication 969 – Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans.
Find out about deducting medical expenses that are not covered by one of these plans.
Find out about deducting medical expenses that are not covered by one of these plans.
Find out how the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) affects your 2017 tax return and health insurance matters.
Find out how the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) affects your 2017 tax return and health insurance matters.
See a general overview of tax deductions and tax credits.
See a general overview of tax deductions and tax credits.
Research & References of Health, Medical, and Flexible Spending Accounts|A&C Accounting And Tax Services
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