Three possible endings for your plan year — and the exact dates for each.
Updated October 2026 · Calendar-year plans (most common)
For most calendar-year plans, the FSA deadline is December 31, 2026. Two exceptions exist, and your employer picked exactly one: a grace period through March 15, 2027, or a carryover of up to $680 into 2027. Never both at full value. If you do nothing and spend nothing, unspent money is forfeited.
| Date | What happens | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2026 | Last day to incur expenses for the 2026 plan year | Everyone without a grace period or carryover |
| March 15, 2027 | Grace period ends — last day to incur 2026-plan-year expenses | Plans that elected the grace period instead of carryover |
| $680 carryover | Up to $680 of unused 2026 funds moves into your 2027 balance | Plans that elected carryover instead of grace period |
| Claims submission cutoff | Usually ~90 days after the year ends (often late March / June) — you must submit receipts even after spending stops | Everyone — the "run-out" period |
One sentence: "Does our health FSA have a grace period, a carryover, or neither — and when is the claims submission deadline?" Write down the answers. Everything about how aggressively you spend in November and December depends on them.
Even after the spending deadline passes, you get a claims submission window — typically 60–90 days — to send in receipts for expenses you already incurred. Miss it and genuinely eligible spending is forfeited anyway. December receipts in a drawer are worth nothing in July.
What happens to unspent money, exactly.
40+ things you can still buy in December.
Resize your election at open enrollment.
Print it, tape it up.
Different deadlines, different rules.
The HSA sister site.