Family · official-source review · reviewed 2026-10-09
Dependent care amounts are use-it-or-lose-it, and the annual limit is easy to exceed by a few careless pay-period choices.
Compare the annual limit, your per-paycheck amount, and your realistic care costs before you enroll.
Employees choosing a dependent care flexible spending amount at open enrollment.
Use the source document or official route that applies to your situation. This guide does not contact another person or verify external information.
Read the annual contribution limit in Publication 969 for your tax year.
Count the paychecks in the election year.
Estimate the care costs you actually expect to pay this year.
Elect at or below the costs you can document, never above.
You elect $65 per paycheck across 26 paychecks, which stays under the annual limit with a $20 cushion.
Use your own source and details. The example is not a record about a real person or organization.
U.S. Internal Revenue Service · reviewed 2026-10-09
What this source supports: Publication 969 explains the dependent care flexible spending account rules, including contribution limits and use-it-or-lose-it constraints.
Source limit: Limits and rules change by tax year. Confirm the current figures in the publication for the year you file.
These sources support the statements above. They do not show that every person needs this guide. They do not show a specific result.
This guide plans contributions from your own numbers. It does not file elections, give tax advice, or read your pay stub.
Limits and rules change by tax year. Confirm the current figures in the publication for the year you file.
Use current instructions from the responsible organization. This guide is a planning aid, not an official decision or a substitute for qualified advice.
Project your annual election from per-paycheck amounts and compare it with the limit and your real costs.
This App projects numbers you enter. It does not give tax advice, file elections, or confirm eligibility.
You enter every number yourself. The sources support the method and the limits. They do not produce a result for your specific case. Keep the original documents next to the sheet you build.
The App computes the worked example with your own numbers, in your browser.
APP 1
Project your annual election from per-paycheck amounts and compare it with the limit and your real costs.
Free · no account · no upload
Open Dependent Care FSA PlannerThe App runs in this browser. It does not send or save entries. Copy, download, or print only when you choose.
This guide uses short, direct instructions as an ASD-STE100-style writing target. It is not a formal certification.
Companion App: Dependent Care FSA Planner. It runs in this browser and does not upload your entries.
This guide is edited for clarity and checked against the sources it links. It is not a substitute for official instructions or qualified advice. A linked source does not show that every person needs this guide.