TomYoung wrote:

- quote -


If only one of you qualified to have the HSA, it's not your
(plural) account but your (singular) account. HSAs are
INDIVIDUAL accounts, even if the qualifying health insurance
plan is of family coverage. Note that there is a difference
between one spouse placing all the family contributions into
one HSA as opposed to both spouses each placing half into
their own HSAs - the single account could trigger an estate
tax filing requirement where having two accounts (with the
same total as the single one) may avoid that. Remember that
spousal transfers in the estate are a DEDUCTION and do not
reduce gross estate for purposes of the filing requirement.

- quote -

I'm glad that you found the answer you were looking for in
the regulations.

<< ================================================== ===== > << The foregoing is intended for educational purposes only > << and does NOT constitute legal OR professional advice. > << > << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org. > << Copyright (2005) - All rights reserved. > << ================================================== ===== >

Finally found the following in a Treasury Department Health
Savings Account FAQ section and figured I'd post my own
answer:

If both spouses are 55 and older, can both spouses make
"catch-up" contributions?

Yes, if both spouses are eligible individuals and both
spouses have established an HSA in their name. If only one
spouse has an HSA in their name, only that spouse can make a
"catch-up" contribution.

<< ================================================== ===== > << The foregoing is intended for educational purposes only > << and does NOT constitute legal OR professional advice. > << > << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org. > << Copyright (2005) - All rights reserved. > << ================================================== ===== >

Hi all:

My wife and I have a qualified high deductible health plan.
I'm the account holder on a Health Savings Account (HSA).
All our 2004 HSA contributions have gone into this account.

2005 will be the first year that both of us can make the
"additional contribution" available to those over 55. Is it
correct that we will have to open a seperate HSA in my
wife's name in order that both of us can make the additional
contribution in 2005?

TIA.

Tom Young

<< ================================================== ===== > << The foregoing is intended for educational purposes only > << and does NOT constitute legal OR professional advice. > << > << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting > << messages to this newsgroup are at www.asktax.org. > << Copyright (2005) - All rights reserved. > << ================================================== ===== >