Good Neighbor Insurance, www.gnazhealth.com, provides HSA plans to our clients as a way of enjoying amazing health coverage as well as way to save on taxes using a Health Savings Account bank account.  As tax time approaches, many HSA account holders may wonder what special steps they must take in order to file their taxes and report their HSA contributions. The following are some Frequently Asked Questions and Answers to some of the more common HSA tax concerns.

Good Neighbor Insurance does not offer tax or legal advice; be sure to consult with a professional tax consultant if you have questions pertaining to your individual situation.

What tax forms will I get in the mail for my HSA?

Your bank will send you Form 1099-SA by January 31. This form will show total distributions (withdrawals) made from your HSA during the previous year.

Your bank will also send you Form 5498-SA by May 31. This form will show total contributions (deposits) made to your HSA for the previous year.

Why won’t I receive Form 5498-SA until May 31?

You have until April 15, to make contributions to your HSA for the previous year.

IRS provides that Form 5498-SA can be sent until May 31 to ensure that all contributions (including those made before April 15 for the previous year) are reported to the IRS.

Do I have to send copies of these forms to the IRS?

No. Your bank sends a copy to you and to the IRS. You can keep the copy you receive for your records.

What if there is a mistake on one of my tax forms?

If you notice an error on one of the tax forms you receive from your bank, you should notify your bank immediately of the error.

What tax forms do I need to complete for my HSA?

In addition to completing your 1040, you may also need to complete Form 8889 and submit it with your tax return. The purpose of Form 8889 is to report contributions made to your HSA (whether made by you, your employer, or both), and to report distributions made from your HSA. If you (or someone on your behalf, such as your employer) made contributions to your HSA, you received distributions from your HSA, or you acquired an interest in an HSA due to the death of the account owner during the previous tax year, you must file Form 8889.

What if my spouse and I both have our own HSAs – do we both have to complete a separate Form 8889?

Yes. If you both have an HSA, you must both complete separate forms.

How do I know how much my employer contributed to my HSA?

If your employer made contributions to your HSA (including contributions made through a cafeteria plan), that amount will appear on your Form W-2, in Box 12 (code W).

How do I know what my total distributions were?

Total distributions from your HSA are reported in Form 1099-SA, which you will receive by January 31. The total amount will appear in Box 1 of Form 1099-SA.

What if I over-contributed to my HSA?

To determine whether you made excess contributions to your HSA, subtract the amount of your deductible contributions from the amount of your actual contributions (both reported on Form 8889). Excess contributions can be corrected (and you will not be subject to additional taxes and penalties) provided they are withdrawn prior to the due date for filing your income tax return (including extensions). You will also need to be sure to include any income earned on the excess contribution as “Other Income” on your tax return. Please note that you cannot claim a deduction for the amount of the excess contribution that you withdraw.

To withdraw an excess contribution made to your bank HSA, simply complete an HSA Distribution Form and indicate the information pertaining to your excess contribution under the section “Distribution Reason.

What if I made a non-qualified distribution from my HSA?

If you withdrew funds from your HSA for a non-qualified expense, you must report the amount as income on Form 8889 and pay an additional 10% tax on the amount of the non-qualified distribution.

There are several exceptions to the additional 10% tax, including distributions made after the account owner dies, becomes disabled, or turns 65. If you made a non-qualified distribution and any of these exceptions applies to you, you can indicate that information on Form 8889.

You can also repay a mistaken distribution to your bank HSA provided the distribution was made because of a mistake of fact. You have until April 15 of the first year following the year in which you knew or should have known the distribution was a mistake.

Doug Gulleson loves to scuba dive overseas and makes sure he has his US health care and overseas health care information with him at all times when he travels (check out his diving travels at www.douggulleson.com).  Keep our blog close by you, www.gntravelinsurance.com , for continual updates on the changes with the US health care system.