What is the tax penalty for the Affordable Care Act?
Asked by: Callie McClure | Last update: September 7, 2025Score: 5/5 (11 votes)
Is there a federal tax penalty for ACA?
Congress eliminated the federal tax penalty for not having health insurance, effective January 1, 2019. While there is no longer a federal tax penalty for being uninsured, some states (CA, MA, NJ, and RI) and DC have enacted individual mandates and may apply a state tax penalty if you lack health coverage for the year.
What is the penalty for ACA affordability 2024?
Like the affordability threshold, this penalty amount is indexed for inflation. The initial penalty amount of $3,000 (in 2015) is now $4,350 for 2025, a decrease from 2024's annualized penalty of $4,460 per affected employee.
How can I avoid the ACA penalty?
1. Adopt an HR policy that offers minimum essential coverage under an employer-sponsored plan to all full-time employees. 2. Obtain written waivers from all full-time employees who decline coverage under your plan.
What happens if I underestimate my income for the Affordable Care Act?
If the consumer underestimated their income at the time of application and excess APTC was paid on their behalf during the year, they would have to repay some or all of the excess tax credit when they file. There are maximum repayment limits which vary depending on income, shown in Table 3.
How to Avoid an Obamacare Tax Penalty (But Should You?)
How can I avoid paying back my 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.
What happens if I overestimate my income for Obamacare in 2024?
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.
Who is exempt from ACA reporting?
Businesses with fewer than 50 workers are exempt from the employer mandate, but if they chose to offer health coverage it must meet certain ACA specifications.
What is the minimum value penalty for ACA?
The penalty for each month is $4,460 divided by 12, for each full-time employee receiving a premium tax credit that month (up to a maximum of $2,970 divided by 12, times the number of full-time employees (minus up to 30).
Does the IRS enforce the ACA?
The IRS created a handy form that purports to collect all the information necessary to enforce the ACA provisions. This is Form 1095-C and like other information returns, the IRS mandates the filing of a Form 1094-C transmittal that summarizes key information from the entire collection of Forms 1095-C.
What is the penalty for ACA 2025?
The 2025 A Penalty decreases to $241.67/month ($2,900 annualized) multiplied by all full-time employees (reduced by the first 30). It is triggered by at least one full-time employee who was not offered minimum essential coverage enrolling in subsidized coverage on the Exchange.
What is the income limit for ACA subsidies in 2024?
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.
Is ACA still mandatory?
Residents of California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Washington, D.C. are required to buy health insurance or face a penalty, unless they have an exemption. Maryland and Vermont require residents to report their health insurance status but do not have a financial penalty for being uninsured.
What happens if you have a gap in health insurance coverage?
How long does a Short Gap in Coverage exemption last? For those who were uninsured for a period of less than three consecutive months during the year, the exemption will be granted for those months. You will need to claim a new exemption in future years if you experience these circumstances again.
How does Obama Care affect your taxes?
The premium tax credit was established by the Affordable Care Act. It makes health insurance premiums for coverage purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace more affordable for eligible individuals. The premium tax credit is the main way that having Obamacare impacts your taxes.
How can I avoid the ACA tax penalty?
Make sure you have health care coverage
To avoid a penalty, you need minimum essential coverage (MEC) for each month of the year for: Yourself. Your spouse or domestic partner. Your dependents.
How to calculate affordability for ACA 2024?
Calculating Affordability Using the FPL Safe Harbor
The FPL Safe Harbor is the easiest to calculate. For 2024 calendar year plans, the FPL Safe Harbor is satisfied, if the required monthly employee contribution for self-only coverage does not exceed 8.39% of the federal poverty line divided by 12.
How much is the ACA tax penalty?
The penalty for not having coverage the entire year will be at least $900 per adult and $450 per dependent child under 18 in the household when you file your 2023 state income tax return in 2024. A family of four that goes uninsured for the whole year would face a penalty of at least $2,700.
What is the ACA affordability penalty?
A penalty of $2,970 (for 2024) per full-time employee minus the first 30 will be incurred if the employer fails to offer minimum essential coverage to 95 percent of its full-time employees and their dependents, and any full-time employee obtains coverage on the exchange.
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.
What is the 13 week rule for ACA?
Classifying Rehires under the ACA
An employee will be considered to be a terminated and rehired employee if the employee has a period of 13 consecutive weeks during which the employee is not credited with an hour of service.
Can I keep Obamacare after I turn 65?
Your Marketplace coverage will not be cancelled automatically by your plan when you turn 65 and sign up for Medicare, but if you receive premium tax credits to help you pay for your Marketplace plan premium, your eligibility for these tax credits will end when your Medicare Part A coverage starts (people with Medicare ...
What happens if you get caught lying to Medicaid?
It is illegal to submit claims for payment to Medicare or Medicaid that you know or should know are false or fraudulent. Filing false claims may result in fines of up to three times the programs' loss plus $11,000 per claim filed.
What is the highest income to qualify for Obamacare in 2024?
To qualify for assistance under the Affordable Care Act, your income generally must fall between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. For 2024 coverage, this range is $14,580 to $58,320 for an individual and $30,000 to $120,000 for a family of four.