How much does maxing a family HSA save in 2026?

Contributing the full 2026 family HSA limit of $8,750 by payroll, at a 24% federal marginal rate, 5% state rate and 7.65% FICA, saves about $3,207 in tax — $2,100 federal income tax, roughly $438 state, and $669 FICA. Your own figure depends on your rates; the calculator computes it.

Do HSA and FSA contributions avoid FICA?

FSA and dependent-care FSA contributions are always made by payroll, so they escape the 7.65% FICA (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare). An HSA escapes FICA only when contributed through payroll (a cafeteria plan); a direct HSA deposit you make yourself saves income tax but not FICA. The tool has a payroll toggle for HSAs.

What is the 2026 dependent-care FSA limit and saving?

For 2026 the dependent-care FSA limit rose to $7,500 (single/MFJ) under OBBBA. At a 24% federal, 5% state and 7.65% FICA, maxing it saves about $2,749 in tax. Note you can't also claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit on the same dollars.

Does the calculator use real IRS limits?

Yes. It caps every account at the actual IRS contribution limit for the chosen year (HSA $4,400 self / $8,750 family for 2026, health FSA $3,400, dependent-care FSA $7,500), so you can't over-state the saving. Limits are sourced to IRS Revenue Procedures and OBBBA, verified 2026-06-18.

No. It's an estimate of marginal tax saved on pre-tax contributions and ignores phase-outs, the Social Security wage base cap, and state-specific HSA quirks (a few states tax HSA contributions). Confirm your own situation with a tax professional or at irs.gov.

Is my data sent anywhere?

No. Every calculation runs entirely in your browser. Your contribution amounts and tax rates are never transmitted to any server.

HSA & FSA Tax Savings Calculator 2026 — Federal, State and FICA Saved

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HSA & FSA tax savings calculator

Contributing to an HSA, a health FSA or a dependent-care FSA lets you pay for medical or care costs with pre-tax dollars. This calculator shows exactly how much tax that saves you — federal income tax, state income tax and FICA — at the real IRS contribution limits for 2024, 2025 or 2026.

Pick your account and tax year, leave the contribution blank to model the maximum (or type your own), and enter your marginal rates. The tool clamps your contribution to the legal limit so the saving is never overstated.

2026 limits used: HSA $4,400 self / $8,750 family (+$1,000 age-55 catch-up) · health FSA $3,400 · dependent-care FSA $7,500. Sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19, Rev. Proc. 2025-32, OBBBA / IRC §129. Verified 2026-06-18.

How the saving works

Every pre-tax dollar avoids tax at your combined marginal rate: federal income tax + state income tax + (where it applies) the 7.65% employee FICA. The FICA piece is the one people forget — it’s a flat saving on top of income tax, but it only applies to payroll/cafeteria-plan contributions. FSAs and dependent-care FSAs are always payroll, so they always avoid FICA; an HSA only avoids FICA if you fund it through your employer’s payroll, which is why the tool has a payroll toggle.

A worked example: maxing the 2026 family HSA ($8,750) by payroll at a 24% federal rate, 5% state and 7.65% FICA saves about $3,207 — and that’s just this year’s tax. With an HSA the money then grows tax-free, which the triple-tax-advantage calculator projects over time.

Notes and limits

This is an estimate, not tax advice. It ignores the Social Security wage-base cap (above which the 6.2% no longer applies), phase-outs, and the handful of states (e.g. California, New Jersey) that tax HSA contributions for state purposes. A dependent-care FSA and the Child and Dependent Care Credit can’t both be claimed on the same dollars. Confirm your figures at irs.gov. Limits verified 2026-06-18.