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Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

| Healthcare | Dependent Care | Transportation and Parking |

Transportation & Parking Benefits

If you pay for campus parking, transit passes, or vanpooling because you commute to work at Georgia State, you can pay for your work-related transportation costs on a pretax basis. As a result, you avoid paying federal and state taxes on that money, resulting in a net savings to you.

Fees for parking in a GSU lot are automatically deducted from your check before taxes. You can also purchase discounted monthly MARTA transit cards via pretax payroll deduction, and you can set up a pretax Spending Account for such expenses as daily work-related parking, weekly MARTA cards, vanpooling, or parking in a non-GSU lot. If you do not exhaust the benefit, you may not cash it out, but may roll the balance forward to future months as long as you don't exceed the monthly maximum. Fees for parking in a GSU lot are automatically deducted from your check before taxes. Therefore, you do not need to enroll in a transportation spending account to receive the pretax benefit. The monthly fee for a Marta card is $42.00, please click here for more information.

Transportation Spending General Information

This is a monthly program that allows an employee the option to increase or decrease their deduction at any time. The effective date of the change will be the 1st of the following month that the form is received in the Benefits Office. Forms to enroll or change your monthly amount may be accessed from the web.

The maximum allowable pretax deduction for parking is $215.00 per month, and the maximum for van pooling and/or MARTA passes is $110.00 per month. The pre-tax deductions are not subject to Federal or Georgia tax.

Reimbursement

Reimbursement forms may be accessed from the web. Receipts must clearly indicate the nature of the expense, the name of the vendor, and the dates of services. Reimbursement forms may be submitted to the Benefits Office at 1 Park Place South, Suite 330, or to the attention of Benefits - Transportation, P.O. Box 3982.

Frequency of Reimbursement

Forms will be processed on a monthly basis on the 15th of each month. Eligible expenses will be reimbursed and will be included in your regular pay at that end of that month. If you have insufficient funds in your account to cover the amount of your claim, you will be reimbursed only the current account balance. The unpaid portion of your claim will not be reimbursed until your balance is sufficient to cover the reimbursement. In no event will monthly reimbursements be made for more than the maximum allowable monthly limits (see General Information above).

IRS regulations do not permit an employer to refund unused balances at the end of a Plan Year. However, your remaining balance may be rolled over to your transportation spending account for the next Plan Year.

Contact Information

Any questions concerning this program can be directed to Benefits - Transportation at 404-413-3330.

MARTA Card and Transit Account FAQ'S:

Q: If I enroll in the pre-tax program, when would my MARTA card be effective?
A: Purchasing MARTA cards through payroll deduction are offered on a pre-paid program. If the enrollment form is received by the 15th of the month, payroll deductions will be made in that month and you can pick up your MARTA card for the following month.

Q: When can I pick up a MARTA card?
A: MARTA cards must be picked up at Auxiliary Services between the 25th of the month you are having deductions made, and no later than the 5th of the month it is effective.

Q: What if I do not pick up my MARTA card?
A: By contract with MARTA, your marta card will be returned to Marta. Complete the Marta Refund form for reimbursement.

Q: Who is eligible to participate?
A: Benefits-eligible employees who work at least 20 hours per week beginning the first of the month following hire.

Q: How do I enroll in a transportation spending account?
A: Simply complete the enrollment form. Submit the form to the Benefits Office, P.O. Box 3982.

Q: When is my transportation spending account effective?
A: Your account will become effective on the first of the following month after you submit your form. For example, if you enroll on January 15th for a February 1st effective date, you may only submit and be reimbursed for eligible expenses incurred beginning February 1st.

Q: Can I make changes to my election at any time?
A: Once you enroll, your monthly election will continue until you either make a change to your election or terminate participation in the plan. The change must be made by the 15th of the month for the change to become effective the 1st of the following month.

Q: If I have a question about my account, who should I call?
A: Please call Benefits Office at 404-413-3322.

| Healthcare | Dependent Care | Transportation and Parking |