Dependent Care FSA specifics
- Participation is voluntary.
- Any benefits-eligible teammate may enroll in the Dependent Care FSA.
- You may contribute up to $5,000 to the Dependent Care FSA in 2025 and up to $7,500 in 2026.
- However, under IRS rules, your contributions can't be more than you or your spouse's income, whichever is less. If you are married and file taxes separately, you are limited to half that amount in contributions. In addition, if you contribute to a Dependent Care FSA through another employer, your combined contributions for the year may not exceed $5,000 in 2025 and $7,500 in 2026.
- Your contributions are made on a pre-tax basis through payroll deduction.
Using your Dependent Care FSA
You can only be reimbursed for the amount currently available in your account. You have until March 31 of next year to file claims for eligible dependent care expenses incurred through December 31 of this year. Otherwise, your balance will be forfeited.
Your contributions
When you first enroll in your benefits, as well as during annual enrollment, you'll have the opportunity to choose a specific amount of money to contribute to the FSAs. For the Dependent Care FSA, you'll need to calculate your monthly anticipated expenses to determine your annual contribution.
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account limits may be lowered if needed to comply with IRS rules that ensure plans don’t discriminate in favor of highly compensated employees. In that case, dependent care FSA contributions may be considered taxable income for highly compensated employees. You’ll be notified if this applies to you.