Affordable Care Act Tax Provisions for Individuals and Families
The Affordable Care Act, or health care law, contains health insurance coverage and financial assistance options for individuals and families. The IRS administers the tax provisions included in the law.
What do I need to know about the health care law?
The Individual Shared Responsibility Provision requires you and each member of your family to have qualifying health insurance (called minimum essential coverage), have an exemption, or make a shared responsibility payment when you file your federal income tax return. If you get your insurance coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you may be eligible for a Premium Tax Credit.
COVERAGE
- If you are like most people, you probably already have qualifying health care coverage and don’t need to do anything more than continue your insurance.
- If you don’t have or maintain coverage, you will have to get an exemption or make a payment with your federal income tax return.
- If you don’t have coverage, you may be able to get it through the health insurance marketplace. For more information about the marketplace, visit HealthCare.gov.
CREDITS
- If you get coverage through the health insurance marketplace you may be eligible for the Premium Tax Credit (PTC).
- The premium tax credit can be paid in advance to your insurance company or to you when you file your federal income tax return. Find out more about the option to get it now or get it later. For more information, see Publication 5120.
- If you receive advance credit payments, you need to report changes in circumstances that will affect the credit to the Marketplace as they happen. For more information, see Publication 5152
Facts about the Premium Tax Credit; Your Credit, Your Choice – Get it Now or Get it Later (Publication 5120)
Facts about the Premium Tax Credit; Need help paying for health insurance premiums? (Publication 5121)
PAYMENTS
- You will report your coverage, exemption or payment on your federal income tax return.
- If you don’t have coverage or qualify for an exemption you may have to make an Individual Shared Responsibility payment when you file your income tax return. For 2014, generally, the payment amount is the greater of 1% of your household income above.
Facts about the Individual Shared Responsibility Provision (Publication 5156)
Facts about Health Coverage Exemptions (Publication 5172)