Accessing your FSA

If this is your first time logging in, you must create an account. To create an account, you must have your employeeid (your social security number without dashes) and your debit card number or employer ID.

If you have any problems logging in, please contact the TAG benefits department at 623-580-4900.

What is a Flexible Spending Account?

A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) - also commonly referred to as an FSA, a Flex Plan or a Cafeteria Plan - is an employee benefits plan regulated by Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code. FSAs allow employees to have money withheld from their paychecks on a pretax basis, and use this money for qualified medical or dependent expenses.

Using an FSA, employees and employers can shield thousands of dollars of expenses annually, resulting in substantial tax savings. FSA contributions are sheltered from FICA, Medicare, federal income and unemployment taxes, as well as state income and unemployment taxes.

An employee that is paying $5,000 per year for child day care can easily save over $1500 per year in taxes, and the company will save over $380 on that employee alone.

How Flexible Spending Accounts Work

The amounts withheld from participants' paychecks are deposited into a dedicated checking account. Amounts must be tracked carefully, as each participant is entitled to expense reimbursements equal to the amount being withheld. As expenses are incurred, the participant pays for them out of his/her pocket, submits proof of the expense, and is then reimbursed from the FSA checking account.

FSA's are tracked in 12-month periods called Plan Years. Participants define the amount they want to contribute during the Plan Year. The elected amount is withheld equally from each paycheck during the year. This amount can only be changed in the event of a "Change in Family Status", a closely defined event including:

Expenses for the full amount withheld must be incurred during the Plan Year. Expenses incurred during the Plan Year can be submitted during a grace period (usually 90 days) after the end of the year, but expenses incurred outside a Plan Year are not eligible.

Any money not claimed by the employee during a Plan Year becomes forfeit. This unclaimed money at the end of the grace period can be used:

Expense and Savings Example

Below is an example of income and expenses that employees may have. This is a good example of how a Flexible Benefits Plan works to increase your spendable income:

Over-The-Counter (OTC) Drugs

If you have questions regarding Over-The-Counter (OTC) drugs and your TAG Card, please review our guide: Over-The-Counter (OTC) Drug List