HSA Triple-Tax-Advantage Calculator
Enter your annual HSA contribution, tax bracket, and how long you'll leave it invested. We'll show the dollar value of contributing pre-tax and growing tax-free, compared to investing the same effort in an ordinary taxable account.
Your HSA
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How this is calculated
The HSA path invests your full pre-tax contribution each year, growing tax-free (future value of an annuity): FV = C × ((1+r)n − 1) ÷ r, withdrawn tax-free for qualified medical costs. The taxable-account comparison assumes you'd have to earn the money, pay income tax on it first (contributing only the after-tax amount), grow it at the same rate, then pay capital gains tax on the growth when you use it. Upfront tax savings = total contributed × your tax bracket. This ignores annual investment expense fees, HSA administration fees, and any employer HSA contributions.
The three tax breaks, stacked
Most tax-advantaged accounts give you one or two of these breaks. A traditional 401(k) skips tax on the way in and while it grows, but you pay ordinary income tax on withdrawal. A Roth IRA skips tax on withdrawal, but you contribute after-tax dollars. An HSA used for qualified medical expenses is the only common account that skips tax at all three points — contribution, growth, and withdrawal — which is why many planners treat it as a stealth retirement account once current medical costs are covered elsewhere.