Incorrect
tax forms sent to 800,000 U.S. health exchange enrollees
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[February 21, 2015]
By Toni Clarke
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama
administration said on Friday that 800,000 people who signed up for
health insurance under the Affordable Care Act received incorrect tax
forms and should wait to receive new ones before filing their taxes.
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Roughly 95 percent of those who received the erroneous 1095-A
forms have yet to file taxes, officials said. New forms will be
issued in early March.
The Treasury Department said it is weighing what to do about people
who have already filed and will provide additional information
"shortly."
Republican lawmakers pounced on the mistake.
"The White House tells us in a classic Friday news dump that nearly
one million Americans could see their tax refunds delayed because of
this president's inability to implement his own law," Tennessee
Representative Diane Black said in a statement.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the glitch should have no
impact on the ability of people to file their taxes by the April 15
deadline. He also said the issue affects "less than 1 percent of
people who file taxes."
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Feb/21/images/ads/current/pest_control_bch_092414.png) The administration also said it would extend a special enrollment
period for tax filers who were unaware they could face penalties for
missing the Feb. 15 deadline to obtain health insurance through the
federal marketplace at HealthCare.gov.
The one-off special enrollment period will be extended from March 15
to April 30. If consumers do not buy health insurance during this
period, they will have to pay a penalty when they file their 2015
taxes. Eligible filers must live in one of the 37 states with a
federally facilitated insurance marketplace.
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![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Feb/21/images/ads/current/tourism_lda_021315.png)
State-based insurance exchanges can set their own policies,
officials said.
To qualify for the special enrollment, consumers must attest that
when they filed their 2014 tax return they paid the fee for not
having health coverage that year and that they first became aware of
the implications of not enrolling in a timely manner after they
began preparing their 2014 taxes.
The IRS has estimated 2 percent to 4 percent of tax filers, or
roughly six million people, may pay a fee for not having coverage in
2014, which is $95 or 1 percent of income.
The fee increases to $325 per adult or 2 percent of income for 2015.
Those who enroll during the special period will still owe fees for
the months they were uninsured in 2014 and 2015. The special period
is to allow people to avoid additional fees for 2015.
(Reporting by Toni Clarke; editing by Lisa Lambert, G Crosse)
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