Do you have to pay back premium tax credit?

Asked by: Montana Goodwin  |  Last update: March 29, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (51 votes)

If you use more advance payments of the tax credit than you qualify for based on your final yearly income, you must repay the difference when you file your federal income tax return. If you use less premium tax credit than you qualify for, you'll get the difference as a refundable credit when you file your taxes.

How do I avoid paying back premium tax credit?

Report any changes in your income during the year to the Marketplace, so your credit can be adjusted and you can avoid any significant repayments at the end of the year.

How much of advance premium tax credit do I have to pay back?

The limits are calculated based on the federal poverty level (FPL). See the table at the bottom of the page to learn your FPL. Example 1: A single individual with income less than $29,160 would have to repay no more than $375 if they received too much federal premium tax credit.

Is the premium tax credit free money?

The Premium Tax Credit is a refundable tax credit designed to help eligible individuals and families with low or moderate income afford health insurance purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace, also known as the Exchange. The size of your Premium Tax Credit is based on a sliding scale.

How does the premium tax credit affect my tax return?

You'll need to use Tax Form 8962 to determine your eligibility for the PTC. If you use more of the PTC than your final taxable income allows, you may need to repay the difference when you file your taxes, but if you use less than you qualify for, you may receive the difference as a refundable credit on your return.

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What happens if you don't use all of your premium tax credit?

If you didn't receive all of the premium tax credit you're entitled to during the year, you can claim the difference when you file your tax return. If you're uncertain about your income for the coming year, remember that you can modify the amount of premium tax credit during the year if your income changes.

What happens if I don't report my 1095-A?

You can use Form 1095-A to reconcile any advance premium tax credits you received during the year with the amount of credits you were eligible to receive. If you fail to file a tax return reconciling those payments, you will not be eligible for premium tax subsidies in the next year.

Why do I have to pay back my health insurance tax credit?

If you use more advance payments of the tax credit than you qualify for based on your final yearly income, you must repay the difference when you file your federal income tax return. If you use less premium tax credit than you qualify for, you'll get the difference as a refundable credit when you file your taxes.

What is the highest income to qualify for ACA?

In 2025, you'll typically be eligible for ACA subsidies if you earn between $15,060 and $60,240 as a single person. A family of four is eligible with a household income between $31,200 and $124,800.

What happens if I overestimate my income for marketplace insurance?

If you overestimate your income and end up claiming less help than you are entitled to, the difference will be refunded to you when you file your income taxes the following year.

What happens if I underestimate my income for Obamacare in 2024?

For the 2024 tax year, if you underestimated your income and received a larger tax credit than you were eligible for, you must repay the difference between the amount of premium tax credit you received and the amount you were eligible for.

Do you have to pay back tax credits?

Nonrefundable tax credits lower the amount of taxes you owe. If the credits are greater than the tax you owe, they'll reduce your tax to zero, but you won't receive the balance as a refund. If you qualify for a “refundable” tax credit, you'll receive the entire amount of the credit.

Why do I owe taxes because of health insurance?

Owe taxes if you used more of the premium tax credit than you qualified for in 2024. You'll have to report the excess amount on your 2024 tax return by filing Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit (PDF, 115 KB). Find instructions for Form 8962 (PDF, 348 KB).

What income is too high for Covered California?

In 2024, an individual in a one-person household is eligible for some degree of Covered California subsidies if they earn up to $33,975 Meanwhile, that limit rises to $69,375 for a household size of 4. These numbers refer to your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) as found on line 11 of your Form 1040.

What happens if I don't file form 8962?

If you received an APTC and don't file Form 8962, you could be ineligible for Marketplace APTCs in the future. Beginning in plan year 2025, Marketplaces must give enrollees advance notice that they are at risk of losing their APTCs after one year of failing to reconcile.

Does a 1095-A affect my taxes?

If you receive a Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement, showing that advance payments of the premium tax credit were paid for coverage for you or your family member, you must file an individual income tax return and submit a Form 8962 to reconcile those advance payments, even if you would not otherwise be ...

What disqualifies you from the premium tax credit?

For tax years other than 2021 and 2022, if your household income on your tax return is more than 400 percent of the federal poverty line for your family size, you are not allowed a premium tax credit and will have to repay all of the advance credit payments made on behalf of you and your tax family members.

Can I refuse health insurance from my employer and get Obamacare?

Obamacare is available to everyone, whether or not their employers offer insurance. From a practical standpoint, though, there are financial consequences to doing this. Often, an employer subsidizes part or all of their employees' coverage.

How much is Obamacare a month for a single person?

Monthly premiums for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans vary by state and can be reduced by premium tax credits. The average national monthly health insurance cost for one person on an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan without premium tax credits in 2024 is $477.

Do I have to pay premium tax credit?

If at the end of the year you've taken more premium tax credit in advance than you're due based on your final income, you'll have to pay back the excess when you file your federal tax return. If you've taken less than you qualify for, you'll get the difference back.

How to avoid paying back Obamacare?

Avoiding Paying Back Your ACA Tax Credits

Another way to avoid having to repay all or part of your premium assistance is to elect to have all or part of your premium assistance sent to you as a tax refund when you file your tax return, instead of paid in advance to your health insurer during the year.

How do healthcare tax credits affect my refund?

If you choose not to get advance credit payments, the full amount of the premium tax credit you are allowed will lower the amount of tax you owe for the year, or increase your refund to the extent your premium tax credit is more than the amount of tax you owe.

Do I have to pay back 1095a?

If your actual income was lower than what you estimated, you can claim the difference as a refund when you file your tax return. If your income was higher than what you estimated, you might have to pay back some or all of the difference when you file your return.

Does the IRS know if I had health insurance?

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is required by state and federal law to send Form 1095-B information to the IRS and FTB for the purpose of validating months of health coverage reported by the person filing their state and/or federal taxes.

How to calculate premium tax credit?

Calculation of the Federal Advance Premium Tax Credit

The APTC equals the difference between (1) the cost of the “second-lowest cost silver plan” available to you (based on your age, family size, and county of residence) and (2) the maximum amount you are expected to pay towards your health insurance premiums.