HSA Contribution Limit Calculator
Your maximum HSA contribution this year — and the income tax it shelters. Triple-tax-advantaged, and the best-kept shelter for the self-employed with a high-deductible plan.
Your details
Rough figures are fine — you can refine later.
How we calculate this
We read the limit from the constants file and value the deduction.
1. Limit. The self-only or family HSA limit for the year, plus the $1,000 age-55 catch-up if it applies — all from tax-constants.json via the shared hsa() helper.
2. Tax saved. Limit × your marginal *income-tax* rate, read from the bracket at your taxable income. No self-employment-tax term — the self-employed HSA deduction reduces income tax only.
Assumptions: you have an HSA-eligible HDHP for the full year; sole proprietor with the standard deduction. This is a planning estimate, not tax advice — confirm with a CPA/EA.
Primary sources
- IRS Publication 969, HSAs and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans
- IRS Revenue Procedure — annual HSA inflation-adjusted amounts
- IRS Form 8889, Health Savings Accounts
The most tax-efficient account you can open
If you have a high-deductible health plan, a Health Savings Account is the best tax deal available — better, dollar for dollar, than a 401(k) or IRA. It's the only account that's triple-tax-advantaged: you deduct the contribution going in, it grows tax-free, and you pay no tax on withdrawals for medical costs. This calculator gives you your maximum contribution and the income tax it shelters.
Enter your coverage type, age, and (for the tax estimate) your net profit and filing status. You get your limit, what it looks like funded monthly, and the tax it saves.
Your limit
HSA limits depend on your coverage: a lower cap for self-only and a higher one for family coverage, both set each year. If you're 55 or older, a $1,000 catch-up is added on top. This tool applies the current-year figures from our constants file. The one hard requirement: you must be covered by an HSA-eligible high-deductible health plan (HDHP). If your plan doesn't qualify, you can't contribute — check with your insurer before you do.
Why "triple-tax-advantaged" matters
Compare the accounts. A traditional 401(k) is deductible and grows tax-free, but withdrawals are taxed. A Roth is tax-free out, but you pay tax going in. An HSA is the only one that's tax-advantaged at all three stages, provided the money eventually goes toward medical expenses — and over a lifetime, essentially everyone has substantial medical costs. Better still, after age 65 you can withdraw for any purpose paying only ordinary income tax, exactly like a traditional IRA. So a worst case for an HSA is "as good as a 401(k)," and the normal case is strictly better.
Many savers who can afford to treat the HSA as a stealth retirement account: contribute the max, invest it, pay current medical bills out of pocket, and let the balance compound tax-free for decades.
Income tax only for the self-employed
The tax saving shown here is your limit times your income-tax marginal rate. For a sole proprietor the HSA deduction is an above-the-line income deduction — it lowers income tax and AGI, not self-employment tax. (Employees who contribute through payroll also dodge FICA on the amount, but that route isn't available to a sole proprietor, so we don't count it.)
It stacks with everything
An HSA sits on top of your retirement accounts — you can max a Solo 401(k) or SEP, add an IRA, and still fund an HSA. Our Tax-Advantaged Savings Optimizer combines all of them into one recommended stack.
What this is
A planning estimate assuming an HSA-eligible HDHP for the full year and the standard deduction. Not tax advice — confirm your plan's eligibility and the amounts with a CPA or EA.
Common questions
What is the HSA contribution limit? + −
It depends on your coverage: a lower limit for self-only coverage and a higher one for family coverage, plus a $1,000 catch-up if you are 55 or older. This calculator applies the current-year limits from our tax-constants file. You must have an HSA-eligible high-deductible health plan to contribute.
Why is an HSA called triple-tax-advantaged? + −
Contributions are deductible (or pre-tax), the balance grows tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax-free. No other account offers all three. After age 65 you can also withdraw for any purpose paying only ordinary income tax, like a traditional IRA.
Does an HSA reduce my self-employment tax? + −
No. For the self-employed, the HSA deduction is an above-the-line income deduction — it lowers income tax and AGI, not self-employment tax. (Employees who contribute through payroll can avoid FICA on the amount, but that route is not available to a sole proprietor.)
Can I have an HSA and a Solo 401(k)? + −
Yes. An HSA stacks on top of retirement accounts. Many self-employed savers use a Solo 401(k) or SEP for retirement, an IRA on top, and an HSA for the triple tax advantage — our Tax-Advantaged Savings Optimizer combines them into one recommended stack.
Keep going
Prepared for tax year 2026. Every rate and cap on this page cites a primary IRS or SSA source. Estimates only — not tax or financial advice. — for planning purposes only, not tax, legal, or financial advice.