Smart Benefits: IRS Releases ACA Taxpayer Data for 2014

Rob Calise, GoLocalProv Business/Health Expert

Smart Benefits: IRS Releases ACA Taxpayer Data for 2014

The IRS recently revealed preliminary results (generally through June 25) from the 2015 filing season related to the ACA’s premium tax credit and individual shared responsibility provisions.

Premium Tax Credit Provision

Individuals who signed up for coverage through an Exchange chose to either have advance payments of the premium tax credit (APTC) made to their insurance provider to reduce their premiums through the year or get a premium tax credit (PTC) at tax time, or some combination of the two. Most eligible individuals opted for advance credit payments up front, and were required to reconcile APTC with the actual amount of PTC they were entitled to at tax time based on their 2014 household income. 

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

•    Among taxpayers who claimed PTC or reconciled APTC, approximately 1.3 million, or about 40 percent, claimed a net PTC (meaning PTC exceeded the APTC paid during the year). 

•    Approximately 1.6 million, or 50 percent, of taxpayers who claimed PTC or reported APTC reported excess APTC (meaning APTC paid during the year exceeded PTC). 

•    About .3 million or 10 percent of taxpayers received the correct amount of APTC during the year and did not need to make any adjustments at tax time or did not claim any PTC or APTC on their final return. 

The IRS notes that its data on taxpayers who still need to reconcile is through the end of May. 

Individual Shared Responsibility Provision 

Under the individual shared responsibility provision, individuals are required to have qualifying health insurance coverage for each month of the year, have an exemption from the requirement to have minimal essential coverage, or make an individual shared responsibility payment. 

•    About 76 percent of taxpayers (currently approximately 102 million tax returns) checked the box to indicate they had qualifying coverage all year. Another approximately 7 million dependents, who do not have to report on their coverage, filed a return and did not have to do anything new this year.
•    Approximately 7.5 million taxpayers reported a total of $1.5 billion in individual shared responsibility payments, the average amount of which was around $200. 
•    About 12 million taxpayers claimed a health care coverage exemption. Of the taxpayers who reported an individual shared responsibility payment, an estimated 300,000 low-income taxpayers reported a payment when they should have claimed a health care coverage exemption. 

Rob Calise is a founding partner of Cornerstone Group, where he helps clients control the costs of employee benefits by focusing on consumer driven strategies and on how to best utilize the tax savings tools the government provides. Rob serves as Chairman of the Board of United Benefit Advisors, and is a board member of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI Broker Advisory Board, United HealthCare of New England Broker Advisory Board and Rhode Island Business Healthcare Advisors Council. He is also a member of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), American Health Insurance Association (AHIA) and the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation (ECFC), as well as various human resource associations. Rob is a graduate of Bryant University with a BS in Finance.

The Highest Taxed Communities for 2015

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.