For most employer FSA plans running on a calendar year, the last day to incur expenses with 2026 funds is December 31, 2026. Grace periods, if your plan offers one, extend that spending window to March 15, 2027. Claim filing deadlines run separately — usually through late March or April 2027.
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These dates assume a standard calendar-year health FSA with a 2.5 month grace period and a 90 day claim runout. Your plan may differ — always confirm with your benefits administrator.
| 2026 plan year begins | January 1, 2026 |
| Last day to incur 2025 expenses (grace period plans) | March 15, 2026 |
| Last day to file 2025 claims (runout period) | Typically March 31 to April 30, 2026 |
| Last day to incur 2026 expenses (standard) | December 31, 2026 |
| Last day to incur 2026 expenses (grace period plans) | March 15, 2027 |
| Last day to file 2026 claims (runout period) | Typically March 31 to April 30, 2027 |
Incur, grace, runout. Only one of them lets you spend new money.
The last day a service or purchase can legally use FSA dollars. For 2026 calendar-year plans: December 31, 2026. After this, the bill must be paid another way.
An optional extension your employer may offer. Lets you incur new 2026 expenses as late as March 15, 2027, drawing from the leftover 2026 balance. Not all plans include this.
Administrative window to submit claims for already-incurred expenses. Does not allow new spending. Typically 60 to 90 days after the plan year or grace period ends.
Most FSAs use a calendar year, but employer benefit years vary. Schools, government agencies, and some private companies run on July–June or October–September cycles. The reminder you set is only useful if it matches your plan's actual end date.
Federal employees enrolled in FSAFEDS follow the same calendar-year structure. For the 2025 plan year, the last day to incur expenses was December 31, 2025 (with a grace period extending to March 15, 2026 for most accounts), and claims for 2025 expenses must be submitted by April 30, 2026. The 2026 plan year follows the same pattern.
Dependent Care FSAs under FSAFEDS use the standard 2.5 month grace period, not a carryover. The IRS does not allow carryovers for Dependent Care accounts regardless of employer.
Knowing your deadline is half the battle. The other half is being reminded of it while there is still time to book appointments, order eligible products, or submit claims.
See the full guide on FSA spending reminders, learn about what happens to unused FSA money, or read the breakdown of grace period vs. carryover vs. runout.
For most calendar-year FSA plans, the last day to incur eligible expenses is December 31, 2026. If your employer offers a grace period, you can keep spending 2026 funds through March 15, 2027. Filing deadlines for 2026 claims typically run through March 31 or April 30, 2027, depending on your plan.
The last day to incur expenses is the last day of your plan year. For calendar-year FSAs, that is December 31. Services rendered or products purchased after that date do not count, even if your balance still shows the money as available.
Claim filing deadlines are separate from spending deadlines. Most plans allow a 60 to 90 day runout period after the plan year ends, so for a 2026 plan year you typically have until late February or April 2027 to submit paperwork for expenses incurred before December 31, 2026.
The runout period is the window after your plan year ends during which you can still file claims for expenses that happened before the deadline. It does not let you incur new expenses. It only gives you administrative time to submit receipts for services already completed.
No. Most do, because most employer benefit years follow the calendar. But some employers run fiscal-year plans ending June 30 or March 31. Check your summary plan description or benefits portal — the specific deadline your reminder needs is printed there.
For calendar-year 2025 plans that offer a 2.5 month grace period, the last day to incur expenses using 2025 FSA dollars was March 15, 2026. After that, any remaining 2025 balance not covered by a carryover provision is forfeited.
Free. No account. Get notified before December 31 with enough time to actually spend your balance — plus follow-ups until you mark it done.
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