When completing the HSA section, it asks for information on monthly hdhp coverage for 2024.... why does it care about 2024 and not 2025 when these are 2025 taxes?

[m122]

i also noticed that no matter how many times i click "start" and go through the whole process, that the hsa section is labeled with a "not started" tag. Also, the sub-header for the section says "form 5498" which i have, but am never prompted for.

[BillM223]

There is a situation in which TurboTax legitimately asks for information on the prior year (2024 in your case),  This is when you used the last-month rule in the prior year (i.e. 2024), yet failed to maintain HDHP coverage for the entire current year (i.e. 2025). If this is your situation, then TurboTax needs to know what kind of HDHP coverage you had in 2024 as well as what HSA contributions you made in 2024.

However, it is not at all clear that this is your situation. 

1. Are you using the Online TurboTax product or the desktop version?

2. Can you tell us the question(s) TurboTax is asking about 2024 (a screenshot attached here would be nice if possible)?

P.S. Don't worry about references to form 5498. You are not actually asked any questions about this form.

[hobbes70]

I'm noticing the same thing as the original poster.   I'm using the downloaded TurboTax software.

On the question "What type of HDHP coverage did you have during 2025?", I selected "Self only plan every month of the year".  The next screen then has drop-downs for each month where you can select a plan (not sure why this is even needed, as I said I was covered every month by self-only), but the title bar says "Let's review what type of coverage you had in 2024".    

If I instead choose "I had different coverage at different times", instead of self-only, then I get the same drop-downs but the title says "Let's maximize your contribution limit" and the description correctly refers to 2025 coverage.   If I choose "Family plan" on the prior screen, I get the same 2024 reference as for "self-only".  

I'm also noticing that even after I complete the section, on the "Deductions & Credits" tab, TurboTax still says "available now" for the 1099-SA, HSA, MSA item, instead of showing the value I entered.  It adjusted my refund though, so looks like it accepted the numbers.   The Charity and Sales Tax items also just say "available now" instead of showing the numbers I entered. 

[BillM223]

Please let me know if the following is true on your return?

1. You did not have HDHP coverage all twelve months of 2025,

2. You answered the question "What type of HDHP coverage did you have on December 1, 2024?" with "Self" or "Family".

In this situation, you are put into the last-month rule portion of the interview, in which you will be asked about your contributions in 2024 as well as about your HDHP coverage in 2024. This is done in order to calculate what your HDHP limit would have been without the last-month rule in 2024.

So tell me if statements #1 and #2 above are true, and we can continue from there.

[m122]

1. You did not have HDHP coverage all twelve months of 2025,

2. You answered the question "What type of HDHP coverage did you have on December 1, 2024?" with "Self" or "Family".

1 is FALSE as my family and I were all covered by an HDHP plan all 12 months of 2025.

2 I didn't get a question about December 1, 2024. 

I do get this question:

What type of HDHP coverage did M*** have during 2025?

and for that I say:

M***  was covered by a Family plan every month of the year

when I hit continue, the next page says:

Let's review what type of coverage M*** had in 2024

Notice that despite the previous page asking about 2025, clicking continue leads me to a new page to review 2024. Seems like a bug. Anyway, It has a dropdown for every month of the year, and every month has Family Plan selected

Next:

Enter last year's excess contribution

Next: 

What's the total value of all your HSAs?

Next:

Your HSA Summary

Next:

Back to the chart labeled Your tax breaks (where I started) and the HSA, MSA Contributions row in this chart has a blue Start button, as if I had never even started that module. This contrasts the other rows in that chart (i.e. child credit, 1098-t, standard deduction) which all show an Edit button, and amounts listed in the 2025 column, which suggests that those modules have been completed.

UPDATE: Per the first reply... This is using Online TT (not desktop)

[hobbes70]

My response is similar to the other user on this post, though I'm using Desktop.

1. I *did* have HDHP coverage for all of 2025.  TurboTax asked me whether I had HDHP 2025 coverage and I said "yes".  Then it asked about special situations (I have none).

2.  Then it asked what type of 2025 HDHP coverage and I selected "self only for every month". 

Then it has me review my monthly coverage for 2024.  Is this because of the "last month" rule? [I did have HDHP all of 2024 too].   I just set every month to "Self Plan" and it seems happy...deducts my full contribution.  I just don't recall getting this question before when I've indicated full year coverage. 

[BillM223]

Since my desktop software does not work this work (nor has it for nearly a decade), please pardon me while I walk through your experiences.

hobbes70, you said "On the question "What type of HDHP coverage did you have during 2025?", I selected "Self only plan every month of the year".  The next screen then has drop-downs for each month where you can select a plan (not sure why this is even needed, as I said I was covered every month by self-only), but the title bar says "Let's review what type of coverage you had in 2024".    

You are right that this doesn't make sense, which is why mine does not work this way.

Let me ask you, which desktop product are you using, the Windows version or the Mac version?

Can you give me screenshots of these two screens (with any personally identifiable information redacted)? Perhaps I will be able to see something.

m122, In looking at the Online product (we employees and the Champs normally use the desktop product because it gives us more features). I see that the Online product behaved just the way you said. 

As a partial workaround, just enter that you had different coverage at different points of the year. The next screen will ask about 2025, and you will have to enter Family for each month.

Then TurboTax will ask about 2024 anyway. Go ahead and enter those months also. In a quick test, it appears that you will get the results you want. 

Now, please allow me to look at this situation.

@m122 

@hobbes70 

[hobbes70]

Thanks for your responses.  

I think it is probably checking my 2024 status because I imported my 2024 return when starting my 2025 return.   If I start a clean 2025 return, then after I select "self only" for all of 2025, it does not ask any further questions.    I can tell that my deduction is being applied, so everything appears correct on that front.   I'll consider this issue closed.  

Thanks again for your assistance!  

[m122]

"As a partial workaround, just enter that you had different coverage at different points of the year. The next screen will ask about 2025, and you will have to enter Family for each month."

I did this, and then a screen for 2025's breakdown came up, followed by another for 2024... The end result was the same though, in that it took me back to the main screen with no indication that this section was complete.

Perhaps its moot. The appearance of an incomplete section is uncomfortable, but also, when i chose "different coverage at different points of the year." I saw may return drop significantly and then get restored as I selected family for each month... so this proves that despite the weird ui quirk, everything in that section is properly accounted for.