Use every FSA dollar before it's gone
It's your money — pre-tax, already deducted from your paycheck — and on December 31 most plans hand the leftovers back to your employer. Check what's eligible, do the deadline math, and spend it down on things you actually need.
88 common items, sourced from IRS Publication 502. Full list on the eligibility checker.
88 items
Is it FSA eligible?
Type an item, get a straight answer — eligible, needs a doctor's letter, or not covered — with the why behind each one.
Free tool
Spend-down calculator
Balance left ÷ days to deadline = the run rate you need, plus a shopping list that matches your urgency level.
3 guides
The deadline rules
Guides to the fine print — when your money actually expires, FSA vs HSA, and the spend-down playbook.
How BenefitsCraft works
Dollars and deadlines — never your medical history
Every tool here runs on numbers you type in yourself. No connecting your HR portal, no linking a health account, no login at all — nothing you enter leaves your browser. Eligibility answers come from IRS Publication 502 and published IRS guidance, and each one says when your plan administrator gets the final word.
The fine print, decoded
FSA deadline rules, answered
What does "use it or lose it" actually mean?
A health FSA is funded with pre-tax money deducted from your paycheck, but the funds belong to the plan year. Whatever you haven't spent by the plan deadline — December 31 for most plans — is forfeited to your employer. Industry estimates put total forfeited FSA dollars at over $4 billion a year.
What's the difference between a grace period and a carryover?
Plans can offer one (not both) softener. A grace period gives you extra time to spend — usually 2.5 months, through March 15 of the next year. A carryover lets a limited amount roll into the next plan year (for 2026 plan years the IRS cap is $680); everything above the cap is still forfeited. Many plans offer neither, so check your plan documents before assuming you have either.
Is the FSA deadline always December 31?
December 31 is the most common deadline because most plan years follow the calendar year, but employers can run non-calendar plan years. Your real dates are in your plan documents or benefits portal: the spend deadline, any grace period, and the run-out period (extra time to file claims for expenses you already incurred before the deadline — typically 90 days).
How is an HSA different? Does HSA money expire?
No — HSA money never expires. An HSA is your account, not your employer's plan: the balance rolls over forever, moves with you between jobs, and can be invested. The use-it-or-lose-it cliff is an FSA problem. The two share the same eligible-expense list, so every answer in our checker applies to both.
How much can I put in an FSA?
The IRS sets the limit each year — for 2026 plan years, employees can contribute up to $3,400 to a health FSA via salary reduction. If your spouse's employer offers an FSA, they can contribute up to the limit separately.
Do I need to keep receipts?
Yes. Even with an FSA debit card, administrators can ask you to substantiate a purchase, and you'll need itemized receipts for any claim you file manually. Keep them at least until the claim clears — a photo is fine.
What's the general rule for what qualifies?
An expense qualifies when it's for medical care — the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a specific condition (IRS Publication 502). That's why SPF 30 sunscreen qualifies (prevents skin damage) but moisturizer doesn't (general care), and why prenatal vitamins qualify but a daily multivitamin needs a doctor's letter. Since 2020, over-the-counter medicines and menstrual products qualify without a prescription.