Important tax information regarding new tax forms

New IRS Tax Forms Question and Answers Document

Form 1095-A, Form 1095-B, and Form 1095-C

Because of the health care law, you might receive some new forms providing you with information about the health coverage you had or were offered in 2015. The information below is intended to help you understand these new forms, including who should expect to receive them and what to do with them.

Please Note:

• These Q&A’s represent excerpts from the IRS’ Questions and Answers about Health Care Information Forms for Individuals (Forms 1095-A, 1095-B, and 1095-C) The entire document is available at:

https://www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act/Questions-and-Answers-about-Health-Care-Information-Forms-for-Individuals

• The information provided in this document does not constitute legal or tax advice. Please consult your legal counsel and tax advisors for more information and guidance on the new ACA IRS tax forms.

The Basics

1. Will I receive any new health care tax forms in 2016 to help me complete my tax return?

Starting early in 2016, you may receive one or more forms providing information about the health care coverage that you had or were offered during the previous year. Much like Form W-2 and Form 1099, which include information about the income you received, these new health care forms provide information that you may need when you file your individual income tax return. Also like Forms W-2 and 1099, these new forms will be provided to the IRS by the entity that provides the form to you.

The new forms are:

• Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement. The Health Insurance Marketplace (Marketplace) sends this form to individuals who enrolled in coverage there, with information about the coverage, who was covered, and when.
• Form 1095-B, Health Coverage. Health insurance providers (for example, health insurance companies) send this form to individuals they cover, with information about who was covered and when.
• Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage. Certain employers send this form to certain employees, with information about what coverage the employer offered. Employers that offer health coverage referred to as “self-insured coverage” send this form to individuals they cover, with information about who was covered and when.

2. When will I receive these health care tax forms?

The deadline for the Marketplace to provide Form 1095-A is February 1, 2016.

The deadline for insurers, other coverage providers and certain employers (Augusta University and Health System, for example) to provide Forms 1095-B and 1095-C has been extended to March 31, 2016. Individual taxpayers will generally not be affected by this extension and should file their returns as they normally would.

3. Must I wait to file until I receive these forms?

If you are expecting to receive a Form 1095-A, because you have insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you should wait to file your 2015 income tax return until you receive that form. However, it is not necessary to wait for Forms 1095-B or 1095-C in order to file.

Some taxpayers may not receive a Form 1095-B or Form 1095-C by the time they are ready to file their 2015 tax return. While the information on these forms may assist in preparing a return, they are not required. Individual taxpayers will generally not be affected by this extension and should file their returns as they normally would.

Like last year, taxpayers can prepare and file their returns using other information about their health insurance. You should not attach any of these forms to your tax return.

4. Will I get at least one form?

Maybe. If you were enrolled in health coverage for 2015, you should receive a Form 1095-A, 1095-B, or 1095-C. In addition, if you were an employee of an employer that was an applicable large employer in 2015, you may receive a Form 1095-C. If you don’t fall in either of these categories, you won’t receive a form.

      5. What do I need to do with these forms?

• You will use the information on these forms to verify that you, your spouse and any dependents had coverage for each month during the year.
• Like last year, if you and your family members had minimum essential coverage for every month of the year, you will check a box on your return to report that coverage. If you or any family members did not have coverage for the entire year, a coverage exemption may apply for the months without coverage. If you or any family members did not have coverage or an exemption, you may have to make an individual shared responsibility payment.
• If you or anyone in your family receives a Form 1095-A from the Marketplace, you will use the information on the form to complete a Form 8962 to reconcile any advance payments of the premium tax credit or to claim the premium tax credit.
• Do not file these forms with your tax return. Keep them in your records with your other important tax documents.

6. What should I do if:

• I have a question about the form I received,
• I think I should have gotten a form but did not get it,
• I need a replacement form, or
• I believe the form I received has an error?

In any of these situations, you should contact the provider of the form (or the entity that you think should have provided you a form, if you think you should have gotten a form but did not get it):

• For questions about the Form 1095-A, contact the Marketplace.
• For questions about the Form 1095-B, contact the coverage provider (see line 18 of the Form 1095-B for a contact telephone number).
• For questions about the Form 1095-C, contact your employer (see line 10 of Form 1095-C for a contact telephone number).

How the Forms Relate to Your Tax Return

7. Can I file my tax return if I have not received any or all of these forms?

If you enrolled in coverage through the Marketplace you will need the information on Form 1095-A to complete Form 8962 to reconcile any advance payments of the premium tax credit or claim the premium tax credit, and to file a complete and accurate tax return. If you need a copy of your Form 1095-A, you should go to HealthCare.gov or your state Marketplace website and log into your Marketplace account, or call your Marketplace call center.

Although information from the Form 1095-C – information about an offer of employer provided coverage – can assist you in determining eligibility for the premium tax credit, it is not necessary to have Form 1095-C to file your return. See Publication 974 for additional information on claiming the premium tax credit.

You do not have to wait for either Form 1095-B or 1095-C from your coverage provider or employer to file your individual income tax return. You can use other forms of documentation, in lieu of the Form 1095 information returns to prepare your tax return. Other forms of documentation that would provide proof of your insurance coverage include:

• insurance cards,
• explanation of benefits
• statements from your insurer,
• W-2 or payroll statements reflecting health insurance deductions,
• records of advance payments of the premium tax credit and
• other statements indicating that you, or a member of your family, had health care coverage.

If you and your entire family were covered for the entire year, you may check the full-year coverage box on your return. If you or your family members did not have coverage for one or more months of the calendar year, you may claim an exemption or make an individual shared responsibility payment.

You will not need to send the IRS proof of your health coverage. However, you should keep any documentation with your other tax records. This includes records of your family’s employer-provided coverage, premiums paid, and type of coverage.

8. Should I attach Form 1095-A, 1095-B or 1095-C to my tax return?

No. Although you may use the information on the forms to help complete your tax return, these forms should not be attached to your return or sent to the IRS. The issuers of the forms are required to send the information to the IRS separately. You should keep the forms for your records with your other important tax documents.

     9. Where can I learn more about what these forms (Form 1095-A, 1095-B or 1095-C) mean to me?

Here is a link to the IRS Questions and Answers about Health Care Information Forms for Individuals (Forms 1095-A, 1095-B, and 1095-C) document:

https://www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act/Questions-and-Answers-about-Health-Care-Information-Forms-for-Individuals

You may also contact your tax advisor.