How to fill out form 8889 if I didn't have an HDHP

[christoft]

I have excess contribution carry over from when I did have an HDHP, but now I do not have an HDHP? How should I fill out form-8889? Check none for each coverage month? and check self for the HDHP question?

[BillM223]

When you go through the HSA interview (Deductions and Credits->Medical->1099-SA, MSA, HSA). When you are asked "Was [name} covered by a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) in 2024?", check "No, I did not have coverage" if you had no HDHP at any time in 2024. But if you had HDHP coverage for at least 1 month in 2024, then check "I had different plans types at different times of the year."

If you answered with the first response above, then you will not have to check off month by month. If you did the second response, then you will have to check off HDHP for any month in which you had HDHP on the first day of the month, and NONE for all other months.

If you get into the Review and it complains that you have not entered Self or Family on line 1 (8889), enter Self just as a workaround. This should allow you to e-file.

This should complete form 8889.

[christoft]

Thanks for the reply! I did select No on having HDHP coverage in 2024, but it is still asking me to fill in each month. This happens after it asks me to select "Self" or "Family" on Form-8889. Once i select "Self" as the workaround, it then brings up the error to fill in each month

[BillM223]

On this screen

Did you answer NO? If so, you should not have seen the month-by-month screen. (note, this screen is from the CD/download product; the Online product may look a little different).

Before the screen above, there is a screen asking about Medicare - did you indicate that you had Medicare? 

What was the screen just before the month-by-month screen? A screenshot with any personally identifiable info redacted would be great, if you can post it here.

[christoft]

Correct, I answered no. I also answer no to any medicare. The month-by-month only pops up at the end when it does a review before finally filing, poping up an error to review

[christoft]

And to clarify the "Self" or "Family" buttons for HDHP coverage on Form 8889 also only pops up at the end during the review. From other help topics people have said to click "Self" as a workaround for that one so that's what I do, but then the month-by-month thing pops up

[BillM223]

Well, I can't get my test to do the same thing, but there are a number of variables, and my test return is surely not the same as yours.

In any case, yes, do enter Self for line 1 on the 8889, and if you have to make month-by-month entries in the Review after that, then, yes, for Line 3, A1 through A12, answer NONE every chance you get.

If you see the request to enter Self/Family/None on Line 18, then come back and tell me because that means something else. Line 18 is for the coverage month-by-month that you had in 2023.