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How much of your FSA is about to vanish?
Pick your deadline type and watch the at-risk dollars, the live countdown, and the weekly pace update together.
FREE CALCULATOR · MONEY
FSA Spend-Down Calculator
Your flexible spending account runs on use-it-or-lose-it: whatever sits unspent at the plan deadline goes back to your employer. Enter your balance and plan type to see exactly how much is truly at risk, how many days you have left, and the weekly pace that gets it spent on care you'd buy anyway.
How it works: the at-risk amount is your balance minus already-planned eligible spending minus any carryover protection (up to $680 for 2026 carryover plans; grace-period plans get extra time instead of protection). The weekly pace is the at-risk amount divided by the weeks left until your spend-by date. Estimates only — always confirm your plan's actual deadline and carryover rules with your plan administrator, since employers set the specifics. For what to buy and the deadline-type details, see the FSA spend-down guide.
How the FSA use-it-or-lose-it math works
A health FSA is pre-tax money with an expiry date. The account runs on a simple default: whatever is unspent when the plan year ends is forfeited back to your employer. The only relief valves are a carryover (up to $680 for 2026, if your employer allows it) or a grace period (up to two and a half extra months to spend, often through mid-March). An employer can offer one of the two — never both — and some offer neither.
The formulas
protected = min(balance, $680) on carryover plans · 0 otherwise · at-risk = max(0, balance − protected − planned spending) · weekly pace = at-risk ÷ weeks left · real cost of forfeiting = at-risk × your marginal bracket
Worked example: $1,200 balance, $680 carryover
With a $1,200 balance on a carryover plan, $680 is protected and rolls into next year — the truly at-risk part is $520. With 76 days left, that's about $48 a week of eligible spending to clear it: a dental cleaning and a contact lens supply would do most of it.
The same $1,200 on a hard-deadline plan has no protection — all $1,200 must be spent by December 31 or it's gone. That's why the deadline type changes the answer more than the balance does.
Where this comes in handy
- October checkup: run your real portal balance now, while there's still time to book December appointments — slots fill fast at year-end.
- Comparing the safety nets: flip the plan type and see how much each safety net actually saves you — then confirm with HR which one your plan really offers.
- Setting a weekly shopping pace: the pace number turns a scary lump sum into a per-week errand list of eligible basics.
- Avoiding the junk-buying trap: the receipt's "real cost of forfeiting" line shows what the tax savings were actually worth — spending $520 on things you don't need to "save" $114 is a bad trade.
- Planning next year's election: if you keep forfeiting, you elected too much; if you keep running dry, too little. Run last year's actual spending through the number during open enrollment.
For the full playbook — the three deadline types, the run-out trap, and what to actually buy — see the guide How to spend down your FSA before the deadline. For the separate childcare account, use the dependent care FSA calculator.
FSA spend-down — frequently asked questions
What does "use it or lose it" actually mean?
Health FSA money is pre-tax with an expiry date: whatever is unspent when your plan year ends is forfeited back to your employer. The calculator's at-risk number is the part of your balance with no plan and no protection.
What's the difference between a grace period and a carryover?
A grace period gives you up to two and a half extra months to spend leftover money (often through mid-March). A carryover lets up to $680 of 2026 money roll into next year. Your employer can offer one or the other — never both — and some offer neither, which means a hard deadline.
What is a run-out period — is it extra shopping time?
No. A run-out period is only extra time to file claims for expenses you already incurred — you can't buy anything new with it. If HR says you "have until March," ask whether that's a grace period (shopping time) or a run-out (paperwork time). The answer changes your whole December.
What can I actually buy with FSA money?
Prescription refills and copays, dental cleanings, eye exams, glasses and contacts, prescription sunglasses, over-the-counter meds, first-aid supplies, SPF 15+ broad-spectrum sunscreen, menstrual care products, thermometers and blood pressure monitors, and services like acupuncture and chiropractic care. Your plan administrator's eligible-expenses list is the final word.
What if I can't spend it all?
Prioritize care you've been putting off — dental work, an eye exam, a contact lens supply — since those are the biggest eligible tickets. Then stock eligible basics you'd buy anyway. Don't buy junk to "save" it: forfeiting $200 at a 22% bracket costs you about $44 in real tax savings, so $200 of unneeded stuff is a bad trade.
Does the $680 carryover apply to my plan automatically?
No — $680 is the 2026 IRS maximum, but your employer has to elect it, and some plans allow less. If your plan doesn't offer a carryover (or a grace period), the deadline is a cliff. Check your plan documents or ask HR before assuming you're protected.
Is this tax or benefits advice?
No. It's a planning estimate built from the 2026 rules — useful for budgeting and strategy, not for filing or benefits decisions. Plan specifics vary by employer; confirm your deadline, carryover, and eligible expenses with your plan administrator.