What it is
It is the form that tells the IRS how much credit you received during the year. The Marketplace issues it, not your insurance company, and it lands in your HealthCare.gov account in mid January.
Everyone who had a Marketplace plan gets one, even if they paid full price with no help.
1095-A not adding up or something unclear? I walk you through it line by line and tell you whether to claim that credit.
Write to me or call (407) 821-9698
How to download it
- Log into your HealthCare.gov account and select the application for the year you are filing, not the following year.
- Choose Tax Forms from the left hand menu.
- Under Your Form 1095-A, select Download PDF. If one is marked Corrected, use that one instead of the earlier version.
The five mistakes that cost money
- Thinking you file the 1095-A. It is not attached to your return. What you file is Form 8962, which is filled in using the 1095-A.
- Not filing because income was low. If you received credit, you must file even if your income would not otherwise require it.
- Not reporting mid year changes. This is the number one cause of surprise repayments.
- Confusing it with the 1095-B or 1095-C. Only the 1095-A feeds Form 8962.
- Thinking column B is your plan. It is not. It is the benchmark plan used to calculate the credit.
A blank column B is usually correct
If it comes back empty or zero it is not a mistake on the form: it means you need to look that number up yourself using the HealthCare.gov tool. No need to call the Marketplace.
One simple rule
Do not file your taxes until you have an accurate 1095-A in hand.
Information reviewed and updated periodically.
We are not tax advisors and cannot prepare or advise on your tax return.
Last updated: 3 days ago