Do I need to report employer HSA contributions on my tax return?

Asked by: Mr. Bradly Stamm  |  Last update: September 24, 2025
Score: 4.3/5 (24 votes)

Contributions made toward your HSA through payroll deductions are excluded from your gross income. In addition, contributions made to your HSA by your employer may be excluded from your employment taxes (like Social Security and Medicare taxes). You will see these reported on your Form W-2.

Do I have to claim HSA contributions on my tax return?

You must report contributions from your HSA on IRS Form 8889. Get 5498-SA information in the "If I don't have a 5498-SA, how can I get my contributions by tax year?" question below.

Do employer contributions to HSA affect taxes?

Contributions to your HSA made by your employer (including contributions made through a cafeteria plan) may be excluded from your gross income. The contributions remain in your account until you use them. The interest or other earnings on the assets in the account are tax free.

How do I report employer HSA contributions on 1040?

The HSA contributions that you make directly to your HSA (outside of your employer's payroll system) are reported on Line 2. If your HSA contributions are deducted from your paycheck and/or your employer contributes on your behalf, those contributions should be listed on Line 9 instead.

Where are employer HSA contributions reported?

Generally, employer contributions are excluded from an employee's income. Employer contributions are reported on Form W-2, Box 12 using code W.

How to Complete IRS Form 8889 for Health Savings Accounts (HSA)

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How do I record employee HSA contributions?

File Form 8889 to: Report health savings account (HSA) contributions (including those made on your behalf and employer contributions).

Do employer HSA contributions show up on W-2?

Employers must report all employer and employee Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions made through payroll as a single aggregated amount on the employee's form W-2 in Box 12 using code W.

Why am I being taxed on my HSA contributions?

Any contributions above the IRS set limit will be considered as taxable income. If you over contribute to your HSA and don't correct it, you may be charged a 6% penalty rate each year on the excess that remains in your account. Although funds in your HSA are tax-free, tax penalties may arise.

Why are my HSA contributions showing as employer contributions?

"Your payroll deductions for the HSA account will be shown on your W-2 in Box 12, marked code 'W'. Because your payroll deductions were taken pretax, they are considered 'employer contributions' and are to be entered on Line 9 of form 8889.

Why didn't I get a 1099-SA for my HSA?

You will receive this form if you have distributions from your HSA during the tax year. There is a separate form for each type of distribution made during the tax year. If you did not have distribution activity during the tax year, you will not receive a Form 1099-SA.

Do you keep employer HSA contributions?

When not used, the money continues to roll over year after year. The other benefit is that an HSA is yours. Forever. It travels with you as an individual if you change jobs or even change health coverage.

Are employer contributions to HSA taxable Turbotax?

If you are eligible for a HSA, i.e. you have a High deductible Health policy (HDHP), then your employer's contributions to your HSA are not taxable and are listed in box 12 of your form W-2 with code W. You do not add them back to your income.

Does employer HSA contribution count towards IRS limit?

Every year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sets the maximum that can be contributed to an HSA. For example, if your HSA contribution limit for the year is $4,150 (as it is in 2024) and your employer contributes $1,000, you can only contribute $3,150—unless you're eligible for a catch-up contribution of $1,000.

Are HSA employer contributions taxable?

Generally, contributions made by an employer to the health savings account (HSA) of an eligible employee are excludable from an employee's income and are not subject to federal income tax, Social Security or Medicare taxes. In addition, employer contributions are deductible as a business expense to the company.

How much does HSA affect tax return?

At any age, you can use HSA funds for qualified medical expenses tax-free. But before age 65, if you use HSA funds on non-qualified expenses, those funds will be subject to income taxes and a 20% penalty. Ouch! Once you are 65 and older, that penalty no longer applies.

How do employer contributions to a health savings account affect the insured's taxes?

Any interest or earnings on the assets in the account are federal income tax-free if used to pay for or reimburse qualified medical expenses. Amounts contributed directly to an HSA by an employer are generally not included in taxable income.

How to deduct HSA contributions on tax return?

Use Form 8889 to:
  1. Report health savings account (HSA) contributions (including those made on your behalf and employer contributions),
  2. Figure your HSA deduction,
  3. Report distributions from HSAs, and.
  4. Figure amounts you must include in income and additional tax you may owe if you fail to be an eligible individual.

Why does my tax refund go down when I enter HSA contributions?

An HSA contribution deduction lowers your AGI, which could make it easier for you to pass the 7.5% hurdle. If you contribute more than the annual contribution limit set by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) within a tax year, those excess contributions won't be tax-deductible.

Are employer contributions to HSA taxable reddit?

California rules: HSA contributions are neither excluded nor deducted from income. You will have to add any employer contributions (reported in Form W-2 Box 12 Code W) to your gross income on your California state tax return.

What happens if I don't report my HSA on taxes?

Other relevant forms include Form 8889 for HSA reporting on your tax return and IRS Form 5329 for excess contributions. Not reporting contributions or distributions for your HSA can result in penalties and interest, affect taxable income calculations, require amended returns, and increase the risk of an IRS audit.

Should I include HSA in tax return?

You must always file a Form 8889 in any year you or an employer contributes money to your HSA or you make withdrawals from the account. The deduction you calculate on Form 8889 is taken on the first page of your income tax return.

Why is my HSA contribution showing as income?

If your employer is deducting your HSA contributions from your paycheck but does not have a Section 125 plan allowing the contributions to be calculated before taxes, your HSA contributions would be considered income (this is rare, but it can happen).

Do HSA contributions reduce taxable income?

All contributions to your HSA are tax-deducible, or if made through payroll deductions, are pre-tax which lowers your overall taxable income. Your contributions may be 100 percent tax-deductible, meaning contributions can be deducted from your gross income.

Are employer-paid health benefits taxable?

Reporting the cost of health care coverage on the Form W-2 does not mean that the coverage is taxable. The value of the employer's excludable contribution to health coverage continues to be excludable from an employee's income, and it is not taxable.

What employers are required to report box 12 dd?

The Affordable Care Act requires employers to report the cost of coverage under an employer-sponsored group health plan on the Employee's W-2 in Box 12, Code DD. All employers that provide "applicable employer-sponsored coverage" under a group health plan are subject to the reporting requirement.