Employee Benefit Plan Limits for 2025

Posted On: November 13, 2024 | By: maggieorchard@axionrms.com

Many employee benefits are subject to annual dollar limits that are adjusted for inflation by the IRS each year. The following commonly offered employee benefits are subject to these limits:

  • High deductible health plans (HDHPs) and health savings accounts (HSAs);
  • Health flexible spending accounts (FSAs);
  • 401(k) plans; and
  • Transportation fringe benefit plans.

The IRS typically announces the dollar limits that will apply for the next calendar year before the beginning of that year. This gives employers time to update their plan designs and make sure their plan administration is consistent with the new limits.

This Compliance Overview includes a chart of the inflation-adjusted limits for 2025. It also includes the 2024 limits for comparison purposes. Most of these limits increase for 2025.

Note that there are some benefit limits that are not indexed for inflation, such as the dependent care FSA limit and the catch-up contribution limit for HSAs.  

Increased Limits:

  • HSA contributions;
  • HDHP limits for minimum deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums;
  • Health FSA pre-tax contribution limit;
  • Health FSA carryover limit;
  • Monthly limits for transportation fringe benefit plans;
  • Employees’ elective deferrals to 401(k) plans, pre-tax and Roth; and
  • Tax exclusion for adoption assistance benefits.
Limit20242025Change
 

HSA Contribution Limit

Self-only$4,150$4,300Up $150
Family$8,300$8,550Up $250
Catch-up contributions*$1,000$1,000No change
 

HDHP Minimum Deductible

Self-only$1,600$1,650Up $50
Family$3,200$3,300Up $100
 

HDHP Out-of-Pocket Maximum

Self-only$8,050$8,300Up $250
Family$16,100$16,600Up $500
 

Health FSA

Limit on employees’ pre-tax contributions$3,200$3,300Up $100
Carryover limit$640$660Up $20
Dependent Care FSA*
Tax exclusion$5,000 ($2,500 if married and filing taxes separately)$5,000 ($2,500 if married and filing taxes separately)No change
 

Transportation Fringe Benefits (Monthly Limits)

Transit pass and vanpooling
(combined)
$315$325Up $10
Parking$315$325Up $10
 

401(k) Contributions

Employee elective deferrals$23,000$23,500Up $500
Catch-up contributions$7,500$7,500 ($11,250 for employees ages 60-63)No change (except a higher limit applies for employees ages 60-63 starting in 2025)
Limit on total contributions$69,000$70,000Up $1,000
 

Adoption Assistance Benefits

Tax exclusion$16,810$17,280Up $470