Employee Payroll Deductions

Employee Payroll Deduction Program

Use your pre-tax dollars to pay for Parking and Transportation costs.

Each month, you can take money from your paycheck pre-tax and put it on a Health Equity Visa Debit card.

You can register for this benefit by signing up with Health Equity. See the instructions linked at the bottom of this page.

How Does It Work?

Enroll through Health Equity and specify a monthly deduction amount (up to $325 for parking or transit).
The deduction happens before federal, state, and FICA taxes are calculated. Your taxable income for the year will be reduced.
Deductions still count toward retirement contributions (e.g., UCRP), but they don’t impact other salary-based benefits like the Health FSA.
If you’re eligible, you can use the WageWorks Visa Debit card for parking or public transit — whichever fits your commute.

Note: Because payroll deductions reduce taxable income, your Social Security withholding may be slightly lower, which could affect benefits later. For more information, you may wish to consult your tax advisor or financial planner.

Eligibility Requirement

Must be a UC Berkeley employee with an appointment of 0.25 FTE or more.
Minimum monthly transit order is $30/month.

What can I use this money for?

This money can be used for qualifying expenses in each of the two listed categories below:

Parking	Transportation
Monthly Passes for UC Berkeley Lots Pay By Phone Daily Rates Other Daily Parking	Bart HVD Tickets Clipper Card Refills and fares AC Transit EasyPass/31-Day Local Pass Amtrak

Planning For Your Deduction Amount

Review your parking and transit expenses for the past year to estimate your monthly expenses amount.

Note: IRS regulations do not allow the return or refund of unused transit passes or any remaining balance on a Health Equity Debit Mastercard. Funds that are loaded onto your card are non-refundable.

Pre-tax commuter benefits are regulated under Internal Revenue Code Section 132(f)(2)(A) and may change based on Congressional action or IRS cost-of-living adjustments.

Payroll Deduction Schedule

When to Order	When Funds are Available
Orders need to be placed by the 10th of each month	Funds are loaded on the last day of the month

For monthly paid employees: A lump sum amount will be deducted.
For bi-weekly paid employees: Amount will be split between two paychecks.

Commuter Subsidy and Discount Programs

Eligible employees who load transit funds onto their pre-tax commuter benefits card may receive a monthly subsidy. The subsidized amounts are based on how much you add each month.

Monthly Transit Order Amount	Monthly Subsidy Amount	Example
$60 or more	$20	If you add $60 in transit funds to your Health Equity Debit Card, $40 will be deducted from Payroll.
$30 to $59.99	$10	If you add $40 in transit funds to your Health Equity Debit Card, $30 will be deducted from Payroll.

Additional Discount Program

Employees and students who meet income eligibility may also qualify for the Clipper START program, a regional pilot offering reduced transit fares for low-income Bay Area residents. Eligible participants receive:

50% off BART, Caltrain, Muni, SamTrans, SF Bay Ferry, Golden Gate Transit and Ferry, Marin Transit, and SMART.

20% off AC Transit, County Connection, Wheels, WestCAT, Tri Delta Transit, Union City Transit, Sonoma County Transit, Santa Rosa CityBus, VINE, SolTrans, FAST, and City Coach.

How do I cancel an existing order?

Enrollment Information

If you need assistance with enrollment or setting up your commuter benefits, you can email reach out to BerkeleyMoves@berkeley.edu or drop into our Monday Office Hours from 3-4pm.