Individual Insurance: Reporting Coverage and Paying Penalties (Part 1)

Individual Insurance: Reporting Coverage and Paying Penalties (Part 1)

by Clarke & Company Benefits Posted on: January 27, 2015Categories: HR & Compliance   

A key provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the individual mandate, which requires most individuals to purchase health insurance coverage for themselves and their family members or pay a penalty.

Starting in 2015, individuals will have to report on their federal tax return whether they had health insurance coverage for 2014 or were exempt from the individual mandate. Any penalties that an individual owes for not having health insurance coverage will generally be assessed and collected in the same manner as taxes.

How will coverage be reported under the individual mandate?

Starting in 2015, when you file a federal tax return for 2014, you will have to:

• Report that you, your spouse (if filing jointly) and any individual you claim as a dependent had health care coverage throughout 2014; or
• Claim a coverage exemption from the individual mandate for some or all of 2014 and attach Form 8965; or
• Pay an individual mandate penalty (called a shared responsibility payment) for any month in 2014 that you, your spouse (if filing jointly) or any individual you claim as a dependent did not have coverage and did not qualify for a coverage exemption.

If you and your dependents all had minimum essential coverage for each month of the tax year, you will indicate this on your 2014 tax return by simply checking a box on Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ; no further action is required.

If you obtained a coverage exemption from the Marketplace or you qualify for an exemption that you can claim on your return, you will file Form 8965, and attach it to your tax return.

For any month you or your dependents did not have coverage or a coverage exemption, you will have to make a shared responsibility payment. The amount of the payment due will be reported on Form 1040, Line 61, in the “Other Taxes” section, and on the corresponding lines on Form 1040A and 1040EZ.

Lookout for Thursday’s Blog to find out who is exempt from the individual mandate!

Source: Internal Revenue Service