MundoKit

Commuter Benefit Calculator: 2026 Monthly Elections

Enter this month’s commute costs, available balances and employer funding. See separate employee elections and projected balances for transit and parking.

Inputs
Example round-trip cost. Use zero for a monthly pass. Only mass-transit fares/passes or qualifying commuter highway vehicles. Vanpools need at least 6 passenger seats excluding the driver, with at least 80% of mileage expected for commuting with employees in at least half those seats. Exclude ordinary taxi/rideshare fares and personal-car costs.
For a pass, set daily cost to zero. Only mass-transit fares/passes or qualifying commuter highway vehicles. Vanpools need at least 6 passenger seats excluding the driver, with at least 80% of mileage expected for commuting with employees in at least half those seats. Exclude ordinary taxi/rideshare fares and personal-car costs.
Example rate. Only parking at or near work, or where you transfer to mass transit, a qualifying vanpool or carpool for work. Exclude parking at or near your home (residential parking).
Only parking at or near work, or where you transfer to mass transit, a qualifying vanpool or carpool for work. Exclude parking at or near your home (residential parking).
Confirm your plan cap; it may be lower than the federal limit.

Results

Suggested employee election this month
$192.00
Transit election
$12.00
Parking election
$180.00
Costs outside modeled tax-free funding
$0.00
One-month balance projection
AccountCommute costElectionTax-free funds usedEnding balance
transit$72.00$12.00$72.00$0.00
parking$180.00$180.00$180.00$0.00
  • Assumes the plan permits existing balances to be used and employer funding is available before purchases. Transit and parking balances stay separate. Recalculate for each month.
  • Employer contributions above the entered plan/federal cap are excluded from this budget; ask payroll how they are handled.
  • Confirm your employer’s election change deadline before changing payroll deductions.

Results update as you type. The share link stores your inputs after the # in the address, which is not sent to our server, but anyone you send it to can read them.

This is a general estimate for information only, not tax, legal or financial advice. Real rules have more conditions than a calculator can show, so check the official source below or a qualified professional for your situation.

Last checked 2026-11-14. Rules change, sometimes at short notice. We list the date we last checked each official source; confirm with the official government source before you travel, buy or file. This is general information, not legal or immigration advice.

How it works

The 2026 exclusion is $340 per month for transit and qualifying vanpool combined, plus a separate $340 for qualified parking. Employer benefits use the same category limit. Lower entered plan caps also apply.

Eligible budget = min(monthly cost, plan cap, federal cap) Election = min(cap − eligible employer funding, max(0, eligible budget − balance − eligible employer funding))

The projection adds available employer funding and the suggested election, pays the eligible budget, then reports the remaining balance. It caps tax-free spending too: accumulated funds do not enlarge a monthly exclusion. Costs beyond this budget are shown separately. Employer funding above the cap is not included. This is a one-month plan; change attendance for each month. No intermediate rounding; displayed amounts round to cents.

Worked examples

Twelve office days

At $6 round-trip transit and $15 parking per day, costs are $72 and $180. With $40 transit balance and $20 employer transit funding, elect $12 for transit and $180 for parking: $192 total, with zero ending balances.

An expensive transit month

At $500 transit cost, a $100 transit balance and $40 employer contribution, the $340 cap leaves a $200 election. Tax-free funds cover $340 and $160 remains outside this budget.

Frequently asked questions

Can unused parking room increase my transit cap?
No. Transit/vanpool and parking have separate monthly exclusions. The tool keeps their accounts separate.
How should I enter a monthly pass?
Set the daily transit cost to zero and enter the pass price as the fixed monthly cost. Do not count the same fare twice.
Can I use an old account balance?
This budget assumes your plan permits it and the funds are available. Ask the administrator about balance restrictions, employment termination and processing times.
Does this calculate tax savings?
No. It calculates funding and spending. The actual payroll tax result depends on your wages, tax treatment and plan administration.
When do I change my election?
Use the optional deadline field to record the date provided by your employer. This tool does not know your employer’s payroll cutoff.
Which transportation and parking costs qualify?
Publication 15-B, Transportation (Commuting) Benefits covers mass transit and qualifying commuter highway vehicles. A vanpool needs at least 6 passenger seats excluding the driver; at least 80% of mileage must be expected for employee commuting with employees occupying at least half those seats. Ordinary taxi/rideshare fares and personal-car costs are excluded. Parking must be at or near work or a transfer point for mass transit, a qualifying vanpool or carpool. Parking at or near your home is excluded.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-11-14; next review due by 2027-01-15. The method is written out above so you can check our math.