If you had health insurance coverage through a Marketplace plan in 2016 with a premium tax credit, you can expect to receive Form 1095-A by mail no later than mid-February. This form can also be downloaded from your healthcare.gov account even sooner (by mid-January). Once you have the form, you will need it to file your federal tax return for 2016 – even if you usually do not file or your income is below the level requiring you to.
You will need to use the information from your 1095-A to fill out Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit. This allows you to reconcile your premium tax credit. In other words, compare the amount you used in 2016 to lower your monthly insurance payment with the actual premium tax credit you qualified for based on your final 2016 income. Any difference will affect your refund or tax owed.
You need to submit Form 8962 when you file your federal income tax return. However, you do not need to submit your 1095-A form. Instead you should keep it with your other tax documents. If you have questions about Form 1095-A or other tax issues, it is best to speak to a tax professional about your specific situation.
