AFFORDABLE CARE ACT TAX INFORMATION

Employee questions about the 1095 tax forms:

1. What is this form I’m receiving?
A 1095 form is a little bit like a W-2 form. Your employer or insurer sends one copy to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and one copy to you. A W-2 form reports your annual earnings. A 1095 form reports your health care coverage throughout the year.

2. Who is sending it to me, when, and how?
Your employer or health insurance company should send one to you either by mail or in person. You should receive it by March 31, 2017. The City will start mailing forms to active employees and retirees shortly.

3. Why are you sending it to me?
The 1095 forms will show that you and your family members either did or did not have health coverage during each month of the past year. Because of the Affordable Care Act, every person must obtain health insurance or pay a penalty to the IRS.

4. What am I supposed to do with this form?
Keep it for your tax records. You don’t actually need this form in order to file your taxes, but when you do file, you’ll have to tell the IRS whether or not you had health insurance for each month of 2016. The Form 1095-B or 1095-C shows if you had health insurance through your employer. Since you don’t actually need this form to file your taxes, you don’t have to wait to receive it if you already know what months you did or didn’t have health insurance in 2016. When you do get the form, keep it with your other 2016 tax information in case you should need it in the future to help prove you had health insurance.

5. What if I get more than one 1095 form?
Someone who had health insurance through more than one employer during the year may receive a 1095-B or 1095-C from each employer. Some employees may receive a Form 1095-A and/or 1095-B reporting specific health coverage details. Just keep these—you do not need to send them in with your 20156taxes.

6. What if I did not get a Form 1095-B or a 1095-C or if I have additional questions?
If you believe you should have received one but did not, contact the Insurance Department by phone at 787-6055.