Commuter Benefits
You can save money by participating in a Commuter Expense Reimbursement Account (CERA) by Optum, and paying for your commuting expenses with pre-tax dollars.
You save because the money to fund your account is removed from your paycheck before taxes are taken out. This lowers the amount of your income that’s subject to federal income tax, FICA (Social Security) and state income tax (in most states). Savings depend on your commuting expenses, tax situation and the monthly limits set by the IRS.
Parking Expenses
- You can contribute up to $3,780 ($315 per month) on a pre-tax basis. These amounts are subject to change in response to IRS annual adjustments. We will contact participants directly should a change occur.
- Qualified parking expenses include:
- A parking lot or facility at or near your worksite; or
- A parking facility from which you commute to work by:
- Carpool
- Commuter highway vehicle
- Mass transit
- Transportation provided by a person in the business of transporting persons for compensation or hire
Transportation Expenses
- You can contribute between $3,780 ($315 per month) on a pre-tax basis. These amounts are subject to change in response to IRS annual adjustments. We will contact participants directly should a change occur.
- CERA can be used for qualified transportation expenses that you incur for traveling to and from work. Qualified transportation includes costs for mass transit, such as:
- Subway
- Train
- Bus
- Vanpool