Can I ever use an FSA for regular (non-medical) expenses?

Flexible Spending Account for qualified medical expenses. That means items such as groceries and clothing are unfortunately not FSA eligible…

The IRS specifically defines which expenses would qualify for FSA reimbursement. In addition to that, your FSA plan guidelines can be found in the Summary Plan Description provided to you during open enrollment. If you'd like to know what exactly is covered by your plan, check the description or ask your FSA administrator directly.

You can use your FSA to pay for qualifying dependents' medical expenses as well. Qualifying dependents include your spouse and children or qualifying relatives (up to 26 years old).

A separate Dependent Care FSA (DCA or DCAP) is a special tax-free account that lets you pay for child or adult dependent care in order for you or spouse to be able to work, search for work, or attend school full-time. You can use a DCA to cover children up to 13 years old, anyone you claim as a dependent on your federal income tax return, and for anyone who is mentally or physically incapable of self-care. Annual contributions to a DCA are capped at $5,000 per household, or $2,500 if you're married and filing separately. Services you can pay for using a DCA include after-school care, childcare at a day camp, private sitters and more.

FSAstore.com clearly outlines FSA-eligible expenses – including over-the-counter medical products you can buy with an FSA. You can shop FSAstore.com for a variety of medical products ranging from first aid products to breast pumps to shoe inserts to hot/cold packs and much more. Our Goodies section includes FSA eligible items you may not have realized are eligible, so why not start by browsing there?

We accept all FSA debit cards, and also major credit cards if your FSA administrator does not provide a debit card.

Have any questions about your FSA? Let us know in the comments.

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