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The IRS has released Revenue Procedure 2023-34 confirming that for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2024, the health FSA salary reduction contribution limit will increase to $3,200.

The adjustment for 2024 represents a $150 increase to the current $3,050 health FSA salary reduction contribution limit in 2023.

What About the Carryover Limit into 2025?

The indexed carryover limit for plan years starting in calendar year 2024 to a new plan year starting in calendar year 2025 will increase to $640.

  • Carryover Limit from a Plan Year Starting in 2023 to a Plan Year Beginning in 2024: $610
  • Carryover Limit from a Plan Year Starting in 2024 to a Plan Year Beginning in 2025: $640

Other Notable 2024 Health and Welfare Employee Benefit Amounts

  • Dependent Care FSA: The dependent care FSA limit remains fixed (with no inflation adjustment) at $5,000.
  • HSA Limits: The IRS released the significantly increased 2024 HSA limits back in May. The individual contribution limit will be $4,150 (up from $3,850) and the family contribution limit will be $8,300 (up from $7,750).
  • ACA Employer Mandate Affordability: The 2024 affordability safe harbor percentage decreases dramatically to 8.39% (down from 9.12%). This sets the federal poverty line affordability safe harbor at a $101.93 maximum monthly employee-share of the premium for the lowest-cost plan option at the employee-only tier.
  • ACA Pay or Play Penalties: The 2023 annualized employer mandate pay or play penalties will increase to $2,970 (the Section 4980H(a) “A Penalty”) and $4,460 (the Section 4980H(b) “B Penalty”) annualized.
  • ACA Reporting: The deadline to furnish 2023 Forms 1095-C to employees will be March 1, 2024. Last year, the IRS finalized regulations making permanent the 30-day extension from the otherwise standard January 31 deadline. Although the 30-day extension typically results in a March 2 deadline, that date is moved up to March 1 in 2024 because it is a leap year.
    Keep in mind that IRS did not extend the good faith enforcement safe harbor from penalties for incorrect or incomplete information on the Forms 1094-C and 1095-C (generally $310 per return in 2024).
    The Form 1094-C and copies of the Forms 1095-C must be filed electronically with the IRS by April 1, 2024 (March 31 is a Sunday). As a result of newly finalized IRS regulations, virtually all employers will need to file electronically. This will generally require engaging with a third-party vendor that can complete the electronic filing.
  • PCORI Fee: The IRS recently released the July 2024 PCORI fee for plan years that end on or after October 1, 2023, and before October 1, 2024 (including 2023 calendar plan years) at $3.22 per covered life.

2023 Health FSA Contribution Cap Rises to $3,050

October 19 - Posted at 1:12 PM Tagged: , , , , , ,

Employees can put an extra $200 into their health care flexible spending accounts (health FSAs) next year, the IRS announced on Oct. 18, as the annual contribution limit rises to $3,050, up from $2,850 in 2022. The increase is double the $100 rise from 2021 to 2022 and reflects recent inflation. 

If the employer’s plan permits the carryover of unused health FSA amounts, the maximum carryover amount rises to $610, up from $570. Employers may set lower limits for their workers.

The limit also applies to limited-purpose FSAs that are restricted to dental and vision care services, which can be used in tandem with health savings accounts (HSAs).

The IRS released 2023 HSA contribution limits in April, giving employers and HSA administrators plenty of time to adjust their systems for the new year. The individual HSA contribution limit will be $3,850 (up from $3,650) and the family contribution limit will be $7,750 (up from $7,300).

CARRYOVER AMOUNTS OR GRACE PERIOD

Health or dependent care FSA funds that are not spent by the employee within the plan year can include a two-and-a-half-month grace period to spend down remaining FSA funds, if employees are enrolled in FSAs that have adopted the grace period option.

Health FSAs have an additional option of allowing participants to carry over unused funds at the end of the plan year, up to an inflation-adjusted limit set by the IRS, and still contribute up to the maximum in the next plan year. Health FSA plans can elect either the carryover or grace period option but not both.

Dependent Care FSAs

A dependent care FSA (DC-FSA) is a pretax benefit account used to pay for dependent care services such as day care, preschool, summer camps and non-employer-sponsored before or after school programs. Funds may be used for expenses relating to children under the age of 13 or incapable of self-care who live with the account holder more than half the year. 

These plans may also be referred to as dependent care assistance plans (DCAPs) or dependent care reimbursement accounts (DCRAs).

In general, an FSA carryover only applies to health FSAs, although COVID-19 legislation permitted a carryover of unused balances for DC-FSAs into the next plan year for plan years 2020 and 2021 only.

The dependent care FSA maximum annual contribution limit is not indexed and did not change for 2022 or for 2023. It remains $5,000 per household for single taxpayers and married couples filing jointly, or $2,500 for married people filing separately. Married couples have a combined $5,000 limit, even if each has access to a separate DC-FSA through his or her employer.

Maximum contributions to a DC-FSA may not exceed these earned income limits:

  • For single account holders, the earned income limit is their salary excluding contributions to their DC-FSA.
  • For married account holders, the earned income limit is the lesser of their salary excluding contributions to their DC-FSA or their spouse’s salary.

Employers can also choose to contribute to employees’ DC-FSAs. However, unlike with a health FSA, the combined employer and employee contributions to a DC-FSA cannot exceed the IRS limits noted above.

A separate tax code child and dependent care tax credit cannot be claimed for expenses paid through a DC-FSA, as “double dipping” is not permitted.

 

IRS Publishes 2018 Indexed Figures

October 24 - Posted at 10:34 AM Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,
The IRS recently published indexed figures for 2018 including changes to the following:

Maximum H.S.A. Annual Contribution Limits-
  • 2018- $3450 Self / $6900 Family 
  • $2017- $3400 Self / $6750 Family
The H.S.A. catch up limit for individual age 55 and over will remain at $1000.

Medical Plan Maximum Out of Pocket Limits-
  • 2018- $7350 self / $14,700 Family
  • 2017- $7150 self / $14,300 Family
The 2018 FSA annual contribution limit was increased from $2600 to $2650. Dependent Day Care Assistance contribution limit  remains at $5000 if single head of household or married and filing jointly ($2500 if married and filing separately). 
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