Just a Minute! on Tax Expenditures and the 'Benefits Bargain'

October 2, 2026

Every year, the American Benefits Council performs a simple back-of-the-envelope calculation to show the underlying value of the tax incentives supporting employer-sponsored health and retirement benefit plans.

We can now report that, in 2025, employer health plans paid out $5.37 in benefits for every $1 of “lost revenue” attributable to health tax incentives. And workplace retirement plans paid out $8.94 in benefits for every $1 of “lost revenue” attributable to retirement tax incentives.

In the latest edition of Just a Minute!, Council President Katy Johnson explains how the Council uses these numbers to strengthen its advocacy and carry out its mission to support sensible employee benefits policy.