Employees are starting to receive their 1095-C forms. Many have questions and they are looking to you for answers. Here are the most important questions and answers from an employee point of view.
Q. What is this for?
- IRS Form 109-C provides information about your employer-provided health insurance, or offers of coverage if you chose not to accept it.
Q. What should I do with it?
- You should keep it with the forms you give to your tax preparer. If you prepare your own taxes you should refer to it as necessary to answer new questions this year about your health insurance coverage.
Q. Do I have to wait for this form before I file my taxes?
- Maybe. It does not need to be submitted with your tax forms but your tax preparer may want to review it to make sure the questions on your return are answered properly. If you were covered by your employer all year you should be able to answer those questions without waiting for the form. You do not need to include a copy of the form with your return.
Q. Why might I need to wait for the information?
- If you received an advance premium tax credit or if you had a gap in coverage or more than three consecutive months you may need to refer to the 1095-C to prepare your return.
Q. Why don’t I have it yet? I got my W-2 already.
- Since this is the first year the IRS extended the deadline for your employer to send out the 1095-C forms to March 31, 2016.
Q. What if I didn’t get one?
- Not every employer is required to send 1095-C forms to their employees. If your employer has less than 50 full time employees you will not receive one. You will need to rely on your own records to answer the coverage questions on your return.
