On April 26, the IRS announced transition relief for employers that sponsored Health Savings Account (HSA) qualified plans for their employees in 2018. The maximum HSA contribution limit for individuals with a family high-deductible health plan (HDHP) remains at the original 2018 level of $6,900 instead of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) level of $6,850 [Rev. Proc. 2018-27].
Why do employers need relief?
The TCJA changed the Consumer Price Index used to determine inflation adjustments, which resulted in the IRS publishing a revised procedure to account for a lower 2018 maximum HSA contribution limit for individuals with a family HDHP from $6,900 to $6,850 ($50 difference). The change was applied retroactively to January 1, 2018 (see Rev. Proc. 2018-18, 2018-10 IRB 392).
APA along with other stakeholders requested the HSA relief because of unanticipated administrative and financial burdens. The revised IRS procedure includes an explanation on how to treat excess contributions for 2018.
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