HSA Last Month Rule and FSA Contributions - Can I Contribute Full Amount?

The HSA last month rule lets you contribute the full annual amount if you're eligible on December 1st and maintain eligibility for the testing period (all of the following year). However, your FSA participation complicates things. Since you contributed to a general-purpose FSA for the first half of the year, you're considered HSA-ineligible for that period. Your wife was eligible all year, but you were only eligible starting July 1st when you stopped FSA contributions and joined her HDHP. In this situation, you can't use the last month rule to contribute the full family amount. Instead, you need to calculate a prorated amount: Your wife can contribute the individual limit for 6 months (Jan-Jun) plus your combined family limit prorated for 6 months (Jul-Dec). The formula would be: (Individual limit ÷ 12 × 6) + (Family limit ÷ 12 × 6) This ensures you're not overcontributing, which would result in penalties if caught in an audit.

I went through something similar last year and found great help using https://taxr.ai to sort through my HSA/FSA mess. The IRS rules around this stuff are super confusing! My situation was I had an FSA for 4 months then switched to an HDHP with HSA halfway through the year. I uploaded my insurance docs and benefit statements to taxr.ai and it figured out exactly how much I could contribute to avoid penalties. Saved me from making a $1,600 mistake! They have a specific calculator for HSA/FSA transitions that accounts for the last month rule and FSA limitations. It also generated documentation explaining the calculation in case I ever get audited.

I need to eat my words about being skeptical of taxr.ai. After my last comment, I decided to try it since I also had a complicated HSA situation (switching from individual to family mid-year with an FSA involved). The tool was actually really helpful. My HR person had told me I could contribute the full family amount using the last month rule, but taxr.ai showed that was wrong because of my FSA participation in the first quarter. It saved me from making a $3,200 overcontribution that would have resulted in penalties. What surprised me was how it explained everything in plain English and gave me documentation to keep with my tax records. Their HSA calculator is specifically designed for these weird transition situations.

If you're struggling to get through to the IRS to confirm HSA rules, try https://claimyr.com - it got me connected to an IRS agent in under 15 minutes when I had questions about my HSA/FSA situation. You can see a demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I spent days trying to call the IRS directly about my HSA overcontribution (similar to your situation with FSA then HSA), kept getting disconnected or told to call back later. With Claimyr, I was talking to a real person who actually knew the rules about the last month rule and FSA conflicts. The agent walked me through exactly how to handle the calculation and what forms I needed to file to correct my previous overcontribution. Saved me hours of frustration!

I owe everyone an apology for calling Claimyr a scam. After my skeptical comment, I was still desperate to talk to the IRS about my HSA overcontribution from last year, so I tried it anyway. I'm shocked to say it actually worked! After trying for WEEKS to get through on my own, Claimyr got me connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed that I couldn't use the last month rule for the full family contribution because of my FSA participation earlier in the year. The service saved me from potentially owing penalties and interest on an incorrect HSA contribution. The agent even helped me file the right form to correct my mistake. Sometimes being proven wrong is actually a good thing!

Just to add another perspective - my accountant told me that another option is to convert your general-purpose FSA to a limited-purpose FSA (if your employer allows it). Limited-purpose FSAs only cover dental and vision expenses, so they're compatible with HSAs. If you had converted your FSA to limited-purpose when you joined your wife's plan, you might have been eligible for the full family HSA contribution under the last month rule. Something to consider for others in similar situations.

Don't overlook the testing period requirements if you do use the last month rule for the portion you're eligible for! I made this mistake. I contributed using the last month rule, then changed jobs and lost my HDHP coverage 8 months into the following year. Had to pay taxes PLUS a 10% penalty on the "accelerated" portion of my contribution. The IRS calls it "failing the testing period" and they definitely enforce it.

Based on your situation, you'll need to use a prorated calculation rather than the full last month rule benefit. Since you contributed to a general-purpose FSA from January through June, you were HSA-ineligible during that period, even though your FSA and HSA coverage didn't overlap. Here's how to calculate your maximum contribution: - Your wife: Individual limit for 6 months (Jan-June) - Both of you combined: Family limit for 6 months (July-December) The calculation would be: (Individual annual limit ÷ 12 × 6) + (Family annual limit ÷ 12 × 6) For 2024, that's roughly: ($4,150 ÷ 12 × 6) + ($8,300 ÷ 12 × 6) = $2,075 + $4,150 = $6,225 total You cannot use the last month rule to contribute the full $8,300 family amount because your FSA participation made you ineligible for HSA contributions during those months, regardless of the fact that they didn't overlap. This is a specific IRS limitation that trips up many people in FSA-to-HSA transitions. Make sure to keep documentation of your insurance effective dates and FSA contribution cessation for your records!

I had a very similar situation two years ago - switched from a non-HSA high deductible plan with FSA to my spouse's family HDHP mid-year. The FSA/HSA transition rules are definitely confusing! After consulting with a tax professional, I learned that the key issue is that ANY general-purpose FSA participation during the tax year creates a period of HSA ineligibility, regardless of timing. So even though your FSA ended before your HSA eligibility began, the IRS still considers you to have had disqualifying coverage for part of the year. The prorated calculation others have mentioned is correct - you'll need to calculate based on individual coverage for your wife (Jan-June) plus family coverage for both of you (July-December). It's frustrating because it feels like you're being penalized for non-overlapping coverage, but it's better to be conservative than face penalties later. One thing I wish I'd known earlier: if you're planning any similar transitions in future years, consider asking your employer about limited-purpose FSA options from the start of the plan year. These only cover dental/vision and are HSA-compatible, so you could potentially use the full last month rule benefit. Keep excellent records of all your coverage dates and contribution cessation - the IRS may ask for documentation if they ever review your HSA contributions.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! Got married in August and joined my husband's family HDHP in September after having a general-purpose FSA through my old employer for the first 8 months of the year. Reading through all these responses has been super enlightening - I had no idea about the FSA creating HSA ineligibility for the entire tax year even without overlap. My benefits administrator told me I could use the last month rule for the full family amount, but it sounds like that's incorrect based on what everyone is saying here. So for my situation, would it be: Individual limit for my husband (Jan-Aug) + Family limit for both of us (Sep-Dec)? That would be roughly ($4,150 ÷ 12 × 8) + ($8,300 ÷ 12 × 4) = $2,767 + $2,767 = $5,534 total? This is such a frustrating rule, but I definitely don't want to deal with penalties and audits. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's really helpful to see how others navigated this!

Just wanted to add my experience as another data point - I had a similar FSA-to-HSA transition situation three years ago and initially made the mistake of contributing the full family amount thinking the last month rule would cover me. The IRS actually caught this during a routine correspondence audit about 18 months later. They sent a letter asking for documentation about my HSA eligibility throughout the tax year. When I provided my FSA and insurance records, they determined I had overcontributed by about $2,400. I had to pay income tax on the excess contribution plus a 6% excise tax for each year it remained in the account. The process was a hassle but not the end of the world - I was able to remove the excess contribution and avoid ongoing penalties. The lesson I learned: always err on the side of caution with HSA contributions, especially in transition years. The prorated calculation everyone's discussing here is definitely the safe approach. Better to contribute less and avoid penalties than to risk an audit and the associated headaches. If you're unsure about your calculation, consider consulting a tax professional who specializes in HSAs. The few hundred dollars in consultation fees can save you thousands in penalties and interest down the road.