Dependent Care FSA Calculator

A Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) lets you route pre-tax dollars toward eligible dependent care costs, and the money you set aside never gets taxed. Enter your expected contribution and this tool translates it into a concrete tax-savings figure, which for many households runs into the hundreds or thousands of dollars each year.

The estimate works by applying your marginal federal rate plus the 7.65% FICA to the contributions you plan to make, up to the annual limit. That limit rose to $7,500 for 2026, from $5,000, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Pub. L. 119-21), effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025. In practical terms it compares your net income two ways: once with ordinary taxable pay, and once with that same money diverted into the account tax-free. State income tax, where your state levies one, saves you more still on top of the figure shown.

There is a catch built into the account: DCFSA dollars follow a use-it-or-lose-it rule, so anything left unspent when the year closes is forfeited. That makes a careful estimate of your eligible care expenses the most important input here. Padding your election to be safe tends to backfire, leaving money stranded in the account rather than back in your pocket.