Transit Account

A Transit Account allows you use pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible mass transit expenses related to your commute to and from work.

Account Benefits

• Pre-tax contributions reduce your taxable income.
• Easiest way to pay for eligible transit expenses with tax-free money.
• Your Transit Account funds become available to you as payroll deductions are taken.
• Eligible for unlimited carryover, so there is minimal “use-it-or-lose-it” risk.
• You can enroll or make changes to your account at any time during the plan year.

Visit the Optum Financial microsite to view resources, and access the member portal. Use the member portal or Optum Financial app to manage your account 24/7.

• Your monthly contribution is deducted pre-tax from your paycheck in equal amounts throughout the plan year and deposited into your Transit Account.
• Submit your claims manually to Optum Financial via:
  • Paper form 
  • Online employee portal
  • Optum Financial mobile app
• Note: You are only able to access your transit funds through manual claim submission to Optum Financial. 

All active state employees, including limited-term employees, are eligible to participate in a Transit Account.

Ineligible:

• Spouses and dependent children. 
• Employees who are also enrolled in a State of Wisconsin pre-tax transit or vanpool program.

Expenses:

• For 2024 benefit period, you must incur all eligible expenses by December 31, 2024.
• For 2025 benefit period, you must incur all eligible expenses by December 31, 2025.

Claims:

• For 2024 benefit period, you must submit all reimbursement requests by March 31, 2025.
• For 2025 benefit period, you must submit all reimbursement requests by March 31, 2026.

Review all claims and provide any required substantiation by December 31 each year. 

An eligible expense is a work-related transportation fee for mass transit the IRS states can be paid for without taxes. Eligible expenses include:

• Bus passes
• Subway vouchers, passes, or tokens
• Train vouchers, passes, or tokens
• Vanpooling fees

Above is a partial list of eligible expenses that are reimbursable through a Transit Account. For more information, see the Commuter benefits overview. For the complete list of eligible and ineligible expenses, visit the IRS website and see IRS Publication 5137.

Tracking Eligible Expenses

You should keep all your receipts and pertinent documentation to prove your Transit Account was used for eligible parking expenses.

To ensure accounts are being engaged with each year, ETF has set a minimum annual contribution and account balance for certain pre-tax savings accounts.

Learn how to enroll in a pre-tax saving account during open enrollment, as a new hire, or when you have experienced a qualifying life event.

You will receive a welcome brochure in the mail from Optum Financial.