TaxWrenKey takeaways
- The 2026 HSA limit is $4,400 with self-only high deductible coverage and $8,750 with family coverage, up from $4,300 and $8,550. From age 55 you can add $1,000.
- Employer contributions count toward the same limit as yours.
- To contribute you need a high deductible health plan with a deductible of at least $1,700 ($3,400 family), no other health coverage and no Medicare.
On this page
For 2026 you can contribute up to $4,400 to a health savings account (HSA) if your high deductible health plan covers only you, or $8,750 if it covers your family, up from $4,300 and $8,550 in 2025. If you are 55 or older by the end of the year you can add $1,000. Money your employer puts in counts toward the same limit.
2026 HSA limits
| 2026 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution limit, self-only coverage | $4,400 | $4,300 |
| Contribution limit, family coverage | $8,750 | $8,550 |
| Catch-up, age 55 or older | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| HDHP minimum deductible, self-only / family | $1,700 / $3,400 | $1,650 / $3,300 |
| HDHP maximum out-of-pocket, self-only / family | $8,500 / $17,000 | $8,300 / $16,600 |
Source: IRS revenue procedure with the HSA amounts for the year; catch-up from Publication 969. The $1,000 catch-up is set by law and does not rise with inflation.
The IRS has already set the 2027 limits: $4,500 self-only and $9,000 family. Our news report on the 2027 HSA limits compares them with 2026.
Who can contribute
You are an eligible individual, and can put money into an HSA, if:
- you are covered by a high deductible health plan (HDHP), with a deductible of at least $1,700 for self-only coverage or $3,400 for family coverage in 2026;
- you have no other health coverage, apart from the kinds Publication 969 allows (such as dental or vision coverage);
- you are not enrolled in Medicare; and
- nobody can claim you as a dependent.
Eligibility is checked month by month on the first day of each month, so the limit is prorated if you are covered only part of the year. One exception, the last-month rule, lets you contribute the full year's amount if you are eligible on December 1; if you then lose eligibility during the following year's testing period, the extra contributions become taxable and a 10% additional tax applies.
Married couples and family coverage
If either spouse has family HDHP coverage, both are treated as having family coverage and share the $8,750 family limit. You split it equally unless you agree on another split. There is no joint HSA: each spouse who wants to contribute opens their own account, and a spouse who is 55 or older puts the $1,000 catch-up into their own HSA.
What an HSA contribution saves
Contributions through payroll leave your wages before income tax and before Social Security and Medicare. If you contribute on your own instead, you deduct the amount on your return, which saves income tax but not Social Security and Medicare.
The take-home pay calculator shows your paycheck before any HSA deduction; to compare an HSA with retirement saving, see the 401(k) calculator or our guide to the 401(k) contribution limits.
Taking money out
Withdrawals are tax-free when they pay for qualified medical expenses. Money taken for anything else is taxable income plus a 20% additional tax, unless it is taken after you become disabled, reach 65 or die. You can contribute for a year until your tax return for that year is due (not counting extensions), usually in mid-April.
Sources
- IRS: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19 (2026 HSA and HDHP amounts) (official)
- IRS: Publication 969, Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans (official)
Figures come from the data files behind our calculators and update with them. See our methodology and editorial policy. This article is general information, not tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the HSA contribution limit for 2026?
$4,400 if your high deductible health plan covers only you and $8,750 if it covers you and at least one other person. If you are 55 or older by the end of the year you can contribute $1,000 more.
Does my employer's HSA contribution count toward the limit?
Yes. Employer contributions, including what you put in through payroll, reduce what you can still contribute. If your employer puts in $1,000 and you have self-only coverage, you can add $3,400.
Can my spouse and I both use the family limit?
No. A married couple with family coverage shares one family limit, split equally unless you agree otherwise, and each of you needs your own HSA because joint HSAs don't exist. Each spouse 55 or older can add the $1,000 catch-up, but only to their own account.
What is the deadline to contribute to an HSA?
You can make contributions for a year until the due date of that year's tax return, without extensions, usually in mid-April of the next year.
Can I contribute to an HSA if I have Medicare?
No. Once you are enrolled in Medicare you can no longer contribute, although you can keep using the money already in your HSA.
Run your own numbers
- Take-home pay calculator
Gross to net salary after federal, FICA, state and local taxes.
- 401(k) calculator
401(k) contribution within the IRS limit, what it costs per paycheck after tax (traditional or Roth), the income tax saved, the employer match and a projected balance at retirement.
- Income tax calculator
Federal and state income tax owed for 2026.