Anonymous wrote:Bet you won't forget again

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I failed to submit receipts for my dependent care savings account for 2016 by the march deadline and now my HR department says there's nothing they can do, I have entirely forfeited the $5k.

I feel absolutely sick to my stomach about this and am very angry with myself, and also at this idiotic system.

I have a couple of questions:

1. Does anyone know if it it absolutely true that I have no recourse? No way to pay a fine or penalty, get the money back minus taxes, etc? Do they have to allow me to appeal, and if so is there any point in doing so?

2. My employer does not provide balance statements about this program. I emailed the person in charge in January and asked her if I had submitted my receipts for 2016 because I assumed I had done it in early 2016 as I had done in previous years. She didn't respond. I should have followed up but did not. Does this matter to my ability to appeal or get my money back?

3. Relatedly, is it normal for employers to provide regular balance statements or reminders? At the very least even if I can't get any money back (sob), I want to advocate that my employer do basic things like this going forward so this will not happen to anyone else. An email saying "Hey you haven't submitted receipts for 2016, do it by next week or lose your money" would have been REALLY helpful.

Sorry to hear that. That is a bummer

These are typically run by a third party company and the only way they make money if savers like you either forget to claim or don't spend what they had put away.

Try this.. Check the account online. I'm sure you have online access.
If it is indeed being run by your company, forward the e-mail you had sent previously to HR up the chain and raise hell. Not a guarantee, but it just might work. If on the other hand it is being managed by an outside third party, they will just point fingers and do nothing about it.

I believe there are rules about them having to notify you about balances at least once before the end of the deadline though I'm not sure. Search the rules and see if they followed it. 5K is a lot of money. Hope you get it back.

Raising hell about it in her company will only spotlight her irresponsibility. The higher-ups may ask, "If everyone else managed to get it done with the same set of circumstances, why couldn't she?"

I remember a young assistant missed several meetings, and then belly-ached afterwards, "Why wasn't I reminded??" No, sweetheart, it is your responsibility to remember. She didn't last long at the company.

I'm not worried about this. I am a valuable employee. Also it would be ridiculous if someone held it against me that I made a mistake that hurt only myself and I am advocating for a simple change that would help others avoid the same mistake in the future.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I failed to submit receipts for my dependent care savings account for 2016 by the march deadline and now my HR department says there's nothing they can do, I have entirely forfeited the $5k.

I feel absolutely sick to my stomach about this and am very angry with myself, and also at this idiotic system.

I have a couple of questions:

1. Does anyone know if it it absolutely true that I have no recourse? No way to pay a fine or penalty, get the money back minus taxes, etc? Do they have to allow me to appeal, and if so is there any point in doing so?

2. My employer does not provide balance statements about this program. I emailed the person in charge in January and asked her if I had submitted my receipts for 2016 because I assumed I had done it in early 2016 as I had done in previous years. She didn't respond. I should have followed up but did not. Does this matter to my ability to appeal or get my money back?

3. Relatedly, is it normal for employers to provide regular balance statements or reminders? At the very least even if I can't get any money back (sob), I want to advocate that my employer do basic things like this going forward so this will not happen to anyone else. An email saying "Hey you haven't submitted receipts for 2016, do it by next week or lose your money" would have been REALLY helpful.

Sorry to hear that. That is a bummer

These are typically run by a third party company and the only way they make money if savers like you either forget to claim or don't spend what they had put away.

Try this.. Check the account online. I'm sure you have online access.
If it is indeed being run by your company, forward the e-mail you had sent previously to HR up the chain and raise hell. Not a guarantee, but it just might work. If on the other hand it is being managed by an outside third party, they will just point fingers and do nothing about it.

I believe there are rules about them having to notify you about balances at least once before the end of the deadline though I'm not sure. Search the rules and see if they followed it. 5K is a lot of money. Hope you get it back.

Raising hell about it in her company will only spotlight her irresponsibility. The higher-ups may ask, "If everyone else managed to get it done with the same set of circumstances, why couldn't she?"

I remember a young assistant missed several meetings, and then belly-ached afterwards, "Why wasn't I reminded??" No, sweetheart, it is your responsibility to remember. She didn't last long at the company.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I failed to submit receipts for my dependent care savings account for 2016 by the march deadline and now my HR department says there's nothing they can do, I have entirely forfeited the $5k.

I feel absolutely sick to my stomach about this and am very angry with myself, and also at this idiotic system.

I have a couple of questions:

1. Does anyone know if it it absolutely true that I have no recourse? No way to pay a fine or penalty, get the money back minus taxes, etc? Do they have to allow me to appeal, and if so is there any point in doing so?

2. My employer does not provide balance statements about this program. I emailed the person in charge in January and asked her if I had submitted my receipts for 2016 because I assumed I had done it in early 2016 as I had done in previous years. She didn't respond. I should have followed up but did not. Does this matter to my ability to appeal or get my money back?

3. Relatedly, is it normal for employers to provide regular balance statements or reminders? At the very least even if I can't get any money back (sob), I want to advocate that my employer do basic things like this going forward so this will not happen to anyone else. An email saying "Hey you haven't submitted receipts for 2016, do it by next week or lose your money" would have been REALLY helpful.

Sorry to hear that. That is a bummer

These are typically run by a third party company and the only way they make money if savers like you either forget to claim or don't spend what they had put away.

Try this.. Check the account online. I'm sure you have online access.
If it is indeed being run by your company, forward the e-mail you had sent previously to HR up the chain and raise hell. Not a guarantee, but it just might work. If on the other hand it is being managed by an outside third party, they will just point fingers and do nothing about it.

I believe there are rules about them having to notify you about balances at least once before the end of the deadline though I'm not sure. Search the rules and see if they followed it. 5K is a lot of money. Hope you get it back.

Anonymous wrote:I failed to submit receipts for my dependent care savings account for 2016 by the march deadline and now my HR department says there's nothing they can do, I have entirely forfeited the $5k.

I feel absolutely sick to my stomach about this and am very angry with myself, and also at this idiotic system.

I have a couple of questions:

1. Does anyone know if it it absolutely true that I have no recourse? No way to pay a fine or penalty, get the money back minus taxes, etc? Do they have to allow me to appeal, and if so is there any point in doing so?

2. My employer does not provide balance statements about this program. I emailed the person in charge in January and asked her if I had submitted my receipts for 2016 because I assumed I had done it in early 2016 as I had done in previous years. She didn't respond. I should have followed up but did not. Does this matter to my ability to appeal or get my money back?

3. Relatedly, is it normal for employers to provide regular balance statements or reminders? At the very least even if I can't get any money back (sob), I want to advocate that my employer do basic things like this going forward so this will not happen to anyone else. An email saying "Hey you haven't submitted receipts for 2016, do it by next week or lose your money" would have been REALLY helpful.

Anonymous wrote:I failed to submit receipts for my dependent care savings account for 2016 by the march deadline and now my HR department says there's nothing they can do, I have entirely forfeited the $5k.



I feel absolutely sick to my stomach about this and am very angry with myself, and also at this idiotic system.

I have a couple of questions:

1. Does anyone know if it it absolutely true that I have no recourse? No way to pay a fine or penalty, get the money back minus taxes, etc? Do they have to allow me to appeal, and if so is there any point in doing so?

-You can file the claim and when it is denied (maybe this happened already), you can appeal. You'll most likely lose your appeal.

2. My employer does not provide balance statements about this program. I emailed the person in charge in January and asked her if I had submitted my receipts for 2016 because I assumed I had done it in early 2016 as I had done in previous years. She didn't respond. I should have followed up but did not. Does this matter to my ability to appeal or get my money back?

-You can mention it in your appeal, but it doesn't seem compelling.

3. Relatedly, is it normal for employers to provide regular balance statements or reminders? At the very least even if I can't get any money back (sob), I want to advocate that my employer do basic things like this going forward so this will not happen to anyone else. An email saying "Hey you haven't submitted receipts for 2016, do it by next week or lose your money" would have been REALLY helpful.