No matter whether were insured, uninsured, covered by an employee plan, or covered through the government’s Marketplace, filing your 2015 income taxes will look noticeably different in a number of ways.
Additional forms will be required to show how much coverage you had and when. If you went for any periods without coverage, you’ll also likely have to pay a fine unless you qualify for an exemption. So, depending on your health insurance coverage status for 2015, here’s what you can expect to encounter as April 15 nears.
If you had coverage through your employer or a market place insurer…
Expect to receive a form from your insurer detailing the coverage you had in 2015. Just like your W-2 form shows how much you earned while working for your employer, these forms show how you were insured. You’ll need the information they contain to help you fill out your tax forms, since you’ll be required to disclose information such as what coverage you had each month of the year, how much you paid out of pocket, or how much you received in government subsidies to pay for your coverage.
Those who signed up for health insurance for through the marketplace should receive a Form 1095-A by February 1st. Those who had private health insurance will receive a Form 1095-B. A Form 1095-C is reserved generally for individuals whose employers opted for “self-insured coverage.” Those should be received by March 31.
Since these forms are for information purposes only and do not have to be attached to your tax return, you don’t have to have them in hand in order to file. However, the IRS recommends that those receiving a Form 1095-A may want to wait to file, due to the possible implications regarding any subsidies received.
If you were uninsured during any part of 2015…
Those who could afford health insurance in 2015, but chose not to purchase any, must pay a “shared responsibility payment” for any periods during which they were uninsured. That payment is made when you file your taxes.
For 2015, that penalty is the greater of these two amounts: 1) $325 per adult and $162.50 per child under 18 ($975 max) or 2) 2 percent of household income in excess of the filing threshold for the individual or family. The maximum an individual can be asked to pay for 2015 is $2,484. The limit for a family is $12,240.
Those fines will increase in 2016 to $695/adult, $347.50/child, and 2.5{d044ab8acbff62f209a116f8142e303cb886f535b0fcf58cb82cde7cb327d3c9} of income.
It’s important to note that there are some exceptions, however. Certain exemptions do apply for those who were uninsured on the basis of financial status, group membership, or those experiencing certain life events.
For more information on exemptions and requirements, visit https://www.healthcare.gov/.