Individual Mandate
Today we will begin to address the requirement that individuals maintain health insurance.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act also known as Obamacare, contains an “individual mandate”—a requirement that U.S. citizens and legal residents have qualifying health coverage or be subject to a tax penalty. I'm writing to give you an overview of the penalty provisions enforcing the individual mandate.
Under the new law, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2013, non-exempt U.S. citizens and legal residents will be required to maintain minimum essential coverage or pay a penalty. Those failing to maintain minimum essential coverage in 2016 will be subject to a penalty equal to the greater of: (1) 2.5% of household income over the threshold amount of income required for income tax return filing or (2) $695 per uninsured adult in the household. The fee for an uninsured individual under age 18 will be one-half of the adult fee for an adult. The total household penalty can't exceed 300% of the per adult penalty ($2,085), nor exceed the national average annual premium for the “bronze level” health plan offered through the Insurance Exchange that year for the household size.
The per adult annual penalty is phased in as follows: $95 for 2014; $325 for 2015; and $695 for 2016. For years after 2016, the $695 amount will be increased annually by the cost-of-living adjustment. The percentage of income will be phased in as follows: 1% for 2014; 2% for 2015; and 2.5% beginning after 2015. If a taxpayer files a joint return, the individual and spouse would be jointly liable for any penalty payment. The penalty, which will apply to any period the individual does not maintain minimum essential coverage (determined monthly), will be assessed through the Internal Revenue Code.
Exemptions will be granted for financial hardship, religious objections, American Indians, those without coverage for less than three months, aliens not lawfully present in the U.S., incarcerated individuals, those for whom the lowest cost “bronze plan” option exceeds 8% of household income, those with incomes below the tax filing threshold, and those residing outside of the U.S.
Next week, we will discuss the meaning of the term “minimum essential coverage”.
Disclaimer: The items included in the Tax Tip Tuesday Video Blog are informational only and are not meant as tax advice. Consult with your tax advisor to determine how any item applies to your situation. IRS Circular 230 disclosure: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. federal tax advise contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.
