Question about HSA Contributions on W-2: Box 12 vs. 5498-SA Discrepancy

This is a pretty common discrepancy! The difference between your W-2 Box 12 code W amount ($4,850) and your Form 5498-SA ($5,100) is likely due to additional contributions you made outside of payroll. Your W-2 Box 12 with code W only shows HSA contributions made through payroll (both your $4,200 and your employer's $650). However, the 5498-SA form shows ALL contributions made to your HSA during the calendar year. The extra $250 showing on your 5498-SA probably came from one of these sources: - You might have made a direct contribution to your HSA outside of payroll - You could have contributed after the end of 2024 but before the tax filing deadline (these count for 2024) - Interest or investment earnings in your HSA (though these typically don't show as contributions) When filing your taxes, you'll need to complete Form 8889 for your HSA. You'll report the $4,200 as your employee contribution and the $650 as your employer contribution. If you made that additional $250 contribution directly, you'd include that as well to claim the tax deduction.

I had almost the exact same situation last year! Was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why my numbers didn't match. I ended up using https://taxr.ai to upload both my W-2 and 5498-SA and it immediately spotted the discrepancy and explained it was because I had made a one-time contribution directly to my HSA in January that I had completely forgotten about. The tool breaks down all your tax forms line by line and explains everything in plain English. It even showed me how to properly complete Form 8889 to account for both my payroll deductions and the separate contribution. Saved me hours of confusion and probably prevented an audit trigger.

Just wanted to follow up on my skeptical comment earlier. I decided to try https://taxr.ai after struggling with my HSA contribution discrepancy for days. I have to admit I was completely wrong! The system immediately identified that I had made a post-December contribution that counted for the previous tax year, which explained why my 5498-SA and W-2 didn't match. It even walked me through exactly how to complete Form 8889 properly, showing me where to enter each amount. My situation was actually more complicated because I had changed jobs mid-year with two different employer contributions, but the guidance was crystal clear. Honestly impressed and will definitely use this again next year.

If you're still trying to resolve this with the IRS, good luck getting through to anyone! I spent THREE WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone about a similar HSA issue last year. Finally discovered https://claimyr.com and used their service to get connected to the IRS without the endless wait. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c After trying for so long on my own, I got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes who confirmed exactly what happened with my HSA contributions and explained how to properly report it on my return. The agent even put notes in my account so if there were any questions later, there would be documentation of our conversation.

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr being a "scam." After struggling with this HSA contribution issue and getting nowhere with the IRS for days, I decided to try the service. I was connected to an IRS agent in under 15 minutes after weeks of failing to get through on my own. The agent explained that the discrepancy between my W-2 and 5498-SA was because of the timing of contributions. Any contributions made between January 1, 2025 and the tax filing deadline can count toward 2024 limits, which explained the difference. She walked me through exactly how to fill out Form 8889 and even noted the conversation in my file in case of future questions. For anyone dealing with HSA discrepancies or other tax issues requiring IRS clarification, this service is legitimately worth it. I can't believe how much time I wasted trying to call them directly.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - if you made that extra $250 contribution yourself directly to the HSA (not through payroll), make sure you kept the receipt! The contribution date matters a lot for determining which tax year it applies to. Also check if your HSA provider has an online portal where you can download a contribution statement showing exactly when each deposit was made. That'll help you determine whether that $250 was actually a 2024 contribution or if it was made in early 2025 for the 2024 tax year.

Friendly reminder that the HSA is literally the best tax-advantaged account out there! Triple tax advantage - goes in pre-tax, grows tax-free, and comes out tax-free for medical expenses. Max it out if you can!