I had a high deductible health insurance policy in 2017, but don't in 2018, so may I make the max contribution for 2017 & use my HSA in 2018?

[MichaelDC · Accepted solution]

Yes. If you've make the qualified HSA contribution in 2017, you may take the deduction. The HSA deadline is the regular deadline for filing your 2017 tax return, April 17, 2018. You will need to contact the trustee of your HSA to ensure that they credit your January 1, 2018 through April 17, 2018 contributions to the correct tax year. As long as you were covered under an HDHP for 2017 and no other type of plan, you qualify for the contribution.

There is no requirement to use the HSA at any particular time. You can save it for retirement, if you wish. When you take a distribution, whether in 2018 or 2038, as long as you use the proceeds for qualified medical expense, it will be a tax-free distribution.

If you have additional questions or details regarding this, please feel free to post in the comments for further clarification.