WHAT HAPPENS IF MY INCOME OR FAMILY SIZE CHANGES DURING THE YEAR?

 

The actual premium tax credit for the year will differ from the advance credit amount estimated by the Marketplace if your family size and household income as estimated at the time of enrollment are different from the family size and household income you report on your return. The more your family size or household income differs from the Marketplace estimates used to compute your advance credit payments, the more significant the difference will be between your advance credit payments and your actual credit. If your actual allowable credit on your return is less than your advance credit payments, the difference, subject to certain caps, will be subtracted from your refund or added to your balance due. If your actual allowable credit is more than your advance credit payments, the difference will be added to your refund or subtracted from your balance due.

Notifying the Marketplace about changes in circumstances will allow the Marketplace to update the information used to determine your expected amount of the premium tax credit and adjust your advance payment amount. This adjustment will decrease the likelihood of a significant difference between your advance credit payments and your actual premium tax credit.

Changes in circumstances that can affect the amount of your actual premium tax credit include:

 

• Increases or decreases in your household income.
• Marriage.
• Divorce.
• Birth or adoption of a child.
• Other changes to your household composition.
• Gaining or losing eligibility for government sponsored or employer sponsored health care coverage.

 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE PREMIUM TAX CREDIT?

 

You are eligible for the premium tax credit if you meet all of the following requirements:

 

• Purchase coverage through the Marketplace.
• Have household income that falls within a certain range (see question 6).
• Are not able to get affordable coverage through an eligible employer plan that provides minimum value (see questions 8 and 9).
• Are not eligible for coverage through a government program, like Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP or TRICARE.
• Do not file a Married Filing Separately tax return (unless you meet the criteria in section 1.36B-2T(b)(2) of the Temporary Income Tax Regulations, which allows certain victims of domestic abuse and spousal abandonment to claim the premium tax credit using the Married Filing Separately filing status (see questions 12 and 13).
• Cannot be claimed as a dependent by another person.

 

WHAT ARE THE INCOME LIMITS?

 

In general, individuals and families whose household income for the year is between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty line for their family size may be eligible for the premium tax credit. An individual who meets these income requirements must also meet the other eligibility criteria described in question 5. Thus, if you have household income between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty line, but are eligible for coverage through your state’s Medicaid program (for example, because your state provides Medicaid to individuals with household income up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line), you are not eligible for the premium tax credit.

For 2013, for residents of one of the 48 contiguous states or Washington, D.C., the following illustrates when household income would be between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty line:

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• $11,490 (100%) up to $45,960 (400%) for one individual.
• $15,510 (100%) up to $62,040 (400%) for a family of two.
• $23,550 (100%) up to $94,200 (400%) for a family of four.

 

Note: The federal poverty guidelines — sometimes referred to as the “federal poverty line” or FPL — state an income amount considered poverty level for the year, adjusted for family size. HHS determines the federal poverty guideline amounts annually. The government adjusts the income limits annually for inflation. The Federal Register publishes a chart reflecting these amounts at the beginning of each calendar year. You can also find this information on the HHS website. HHS provides three federal poverty guidelines: one for residents of the 48 contiguous states and D.C., one for Alaska residents and one for Hawaii residents. For purposes of the premium tax credit, eligibility for a certain year is based on the most recently published set of poverty guidelines at the time of the first day of the annual open enrollment period. As a result, the tax credit for 2014 will be based on the 2013 guidelines. The tax credit for 2015 will be based on the 2014 guidelines.  Use of the 2014 federal poverty guidelines (FPL) for the 2015 premium tax credit eligibility determinations will begin on the first day of the open enrollment period for 2015 coverage, which is November 15, 2014.

WHAT IS HOUSEHOLD INCOME?

 

For purposes of the premium tax credit, your household income is your modified adjusted gross income plus that of every other individual in your family for whom you can properly claim a personal exemption deduction and who is required to file a federal income tax return. Modified adjusted gross income is the adjusted gross income on your federal income tax return plus any excluded foreign income, nontaxable Social Security benefits (including tier 1 railroad retirement benefits), and tax-exempt interest received or accrued during the taxable year. It does not include Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

HOW DO I KNOW IF THE INSURANCE OFFERED BY MY EMPLOYER IS AFFORDABLE?

 

An employer-sponsored plan is affordable if the portion of the annual premium you must pay for self-only coverage does not exceed 9.5 percent of your household income (adjusted to 9.56 percent for plan years beginning in 2015 – see Revenue Procedure 2014-37. (See question 7 for what is included in household income.) The affordability test applies only to the portion of the annual premiums for self-only coverage and does not include any additional cost for family coverage. If the employer offers multiple health coverage options, the affordability test applies to the lowest-cost option available to you that also satisfies the minimum value requirement. If your employer offers any wellness programs, the affordability test is based on the premium you would pay if you received the maximum discount for any tobacco cessation programs, and did not receive any other discounts based on wellness programs.

HOW DO I KNOW IF THE INSURANCE OFFERED BY MY EMPLOYER PROVIDES MINIMUM VALUE?

 

An employer-sponsored plan provides minimum value if the plan covers at least 60 percent of the expected total allowed costs for covered services. Beginning in 2014, your employer will provide you with a document called a Summary of Benefits and Coverage. That document will give you information about the benefits and coverage under your employer-sponsored plan, including whether the plan provides minimum value. Also, under the Fair Labor Standards Act, most employers will provide employees with a notice about their options in the Marketplace and their potential eligibility for a premium tax credit. This one-time notice will include information about whether the employer has a plan that provides minimum value.

AM I ELIGIBLE FOR THE PREMIUM TAX CREDIT IF I ENROLL IN COVERAGE THROUGH AN EMPLOYER?

 

If you enroll in an employer-sponsored plan, including retiree coverage, you are not eligible for the premium tax credit even if the plan is unaffordable or fails to provide minimum value.

WILL I HAVE TO FILE A FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURN TO GET THE PREMIUM TAX CREDIT?

 

For any tax year, if you receive advance credit payments in any amount or if you plan to claim the premium tax credit, you must file a Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit (PTC) and attach it to your federal income tax return for that year. If you receive any advance credit payments, you will use your return to reconcile the difference between the advance credit payments made on your behalf and the actual amount of the credit that you may claim. This filing requirement applies whether or not you would otherwise be required to file a return. If you are married and you file your tax return using the filing status Married Filing Separately, you will not be eligible for the premium tax credit unless you meet the criteria in Notice 2014-23, which allows certain victims of domestic abuse to claim the premium tax credit using the Married Filing Separately filing status for the 2014 calendar year.

WILL I BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PREMIUM TAX CREDIT IF I’M MARRIED BUT I FILE MY TAX RETURN USING THE FILING STATUS MARRIED FILING SEPARATELY?

 

If you are married and you file your tax return using the filing status Married Filing Separately, you will not be eligible for the premium tax credit unless you meet the criteria in section 1.36B-2T(b)(2) of the Temporary Income Tax Regulations, which allows certain victims of domestic abuse and spousal abandonment to claim the premium tax credit using the Married Filing Separately filing status. 

You can claim this relief from the joint filing requirement if you meet all of the following criteria:

 

• You are living apart from your spouse at the time you file your 2014 tax return.
• You are unable to file a joint return because you are a victim of domestic abuse or spousal abandonment (see question 13).
• You certify on your return that you are a victim of domestic abuse or spousal abandonment.

 

To certify that you are a victim of domestic abuse or spousal abandonment and qualify for relief from the joint return filing requirement, you should check the “Relief” box in the top right-hand corner of Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit (PTC). You should not attach documentation of the abuse or abandonment to your tax return, but should keep any documentation you may have with your tax return records. For examples of what documentation to keep, see Pub. 974. Taxpayers may claim this relief from the joint filing requirement for no more than three consecutive years.

Note:  Generally, a married taxpayer who lives apart from his or her spouse for the last six months of the taxable year is considered unmarried if he or she files a separate return, maintains as the taxpayer’s home a household that is also the main home of a dependent child for more than half the year, and furnishes over half the cost of the household during the taxable year.

For purposes of the relief from the joint filing requirement for certain victims of domestic abuse and spousal abandonment, how are domestic abuse and spousal abandonment defined?

 

Domestic abuse includes physical, psychological, sexual, or emotional abuse, including efforts to control, isolate, humiliate, and intimidate, or to undermine the victim’s ability to reason independently.  All the facts and circumstances are considered in determining whether an individual is abused, including the effects of alcohol or drug abuse by the victim’s spouse. Depending on the facts and circumstances, abuse of the victim’s child or other family member living in the household may constitute abuse of the victim.

A taxpayer is a victim of spousal abandonment for a taxable year if, taking into account all facts and circumstances, the taxpayer is unable to locate his or her spouse after reasonable diligence.

If I get insurance through the Marketplace, how will I know what to report on my federal tax return?

 

If you purchased coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace you should receive Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement from your Marketplace by early February. This form provides information you will need when completing Form 8962. If you have questions about the information on Form 1095-A for 2014, or about receiving Form 1095-A for 2014, you should contact your Marketplace directly.  The IRS will not be able to answers questions about the information on your Form 1095-A or about missing or lost forms.

Filing electronically is the easiest way to file a complete and accurate tax return. Electronic Filing options include free Volunteer Assistance, IRS Free File, commercial software and professional assistance.

HOW IS THE AMOUNT OF THE PREMIUM TAX CREDIT DETERMINED?

 

The law bases the size of your premium tax credit on a sliding scale. Those who have a lower income get a larger credit to help cover the cost of their insurance. In other words, the higher your income, the lower the amount of your credit.You will figure your credit on Form 8962. You must complete this form to claim the premium tax credit and reconcile any advance credit payments with the premium tax credit you are eligible to claim on your return. Form 1095-A from your Marketplace provides information you will need when completing Form 8962.(see question 14) Filing electronically is the easiest way to file a complete and accurate tax return. Electronic Filing options include free Volunteer Assistance, IRS Free File, commercial software and professional assistance.

Additionally, the premium tax credit is a refundable tax credit. This means that if the amount of the credit is more than the amount of your tax liability, you will receive the difference as a refund. If you owe no tax, you can get the full amount of the credit as a refund. However, if you receive advance payments of the credit, you will reconcile the advance payments with the amount of the actual premium tax credit that you calculate on your tax return. If your actual allowable credit on your return is less than your advance credit payments, the difference, subject to certain caps, will be subtracted from your refund or added to your balance due. If your actual allowable credit is more than your advance credit payments, the difference will be added to your refund or subtracted from your balance due. (See question 4 for information on changes in circumstances.)

Failure to File and Reconcile

WHAT HAPPENS IF I RECEIVED ADVANCE PAYMENTS OF THE PREMIUM TAX CREDIT AND I DID NOT FILE A FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURN?

 

If advance payments of the premium tax credit were paid on behalf of you or an individual in your family in 2014, and you do not file a 2014 tax return, you will not be eligible for advance payments of the premium tax credit or cost-sharing reductions to help pay for your Marketplace health insurance coverage in 2016.  This means you will be responsible for the full cost of your monthly premiums and all covered services. In addition, we may contact you to pay back some or all of the 2014 advance payments of the premium tax credit.

I received a letter from the Marketplace stating that they were not able to verify that I reconciled the advance payments I received in 2014. What do I need to do?

 

You may receive this letter if you have not yet filed your 2014 tax return, even if you received an extension of time to file until October 15, 2015.  Because Marketplaces will determine eligibility for advance tax credit payments and cost-sharing reductions for the 2016 coverage year during the fall of 2015, it will substantially increase your chances of avoiding a gap in receiving this help if you file your 2014 tax return with Form 8962 electronically as soon as possible.

For questions about information on the letter visit HealthCare.gov, or call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596.

I filed for an extension of time to file but I still received a letter from the Marketplace stating that they were not able to verify that I reconciled the advance payments I received in 2014. Do I need to file now or can I wait until October?

If you missed the April 15 deadline or received an extension to file until Oct. 15, you should file your return as soon as possible.  You should not wait to file. File now to reconcile any advance credit payments you received in 2014 and to maintain your eligibility for future premium assistance.

Remember that filing electronically is the best and simplest way to file a complete and accurate tax return as it guides you through the process and does all the math.