As we inch closer to 2014, many clients are gearing up for a potential reduction in covered health benefits as employer-sponsored health plans are modified and insurers have begun cancelling coverage in anticipation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) effective date.
Planning for these costs is heating up, and the IRS has placed the significance of the health flexible spending account (FSA) as a tax-free funding tool in the spotlight. While reducing taxable income in light of higher tax rates is a priority for many clients, the potential for increased out-of-pocket medical expenses under the ACA may provide an even stronger motivation in 2014. As a result, the double tax benefits offered by FSAs have become more valuable than ever, and the IRS has recently taken steps to ease the restrictions that may have previously dissuaded clients from taking advantage of these vehicles.
Read William Byrnes and Robert Bloink’s analysis of health flexible spending account that may be attractive for certain of your clients at > http://www.thinkadvisor.com/2013/11/12/irs-gives-double-tax-benefits-of-health-fsas-a-bool <
William Byrnes' Tax, Wealth, and Risk Intelligence 