Affordable Care Act Transmittal Forms 1094-B and 1094-C

Did you know that there’s more to your Affordable Care Act return than just Form 1095-B or 1095-C? That’s right: your ACA forms must be sent with a transmittal return, either Form 1094-B or 1094-C, each year.

Form 1094-B
Submitted with Forms 1095-B is Form 1094-B, Transmittal of Health Coverage Information Returns. The majority of Form 1094-B consists of basic information about the filer, including name, EIN, and contact information. On Form 1094-B, the filer also needs to report the number of Forms 1095-B submitted with the transmittal form.

Form 1094-B also requires the filer’s signature, title, and date before it can be submitted with the complete ACA return.

Form 1094-C
Form 1094-C, Transmittal of Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage Information Returns, which is submitted with 1095-C Forms, is a bit more complex than Form 1094-B. Because it requires more information, Form 1094-C is split into three parts:

• Part I: Applicable Large Employer Member (ALE Member)
• Part I includes all the basic information about the ALE whose ACA report this 1094-C belongs to, including the name, EIN, address, and person of contact.
• Lines 9-16 of Part I are filled out if the filer is a Designated Governmental Entity (DGE) filing on behalf of an employer. So in some instances, these lines will need to be left blank.
• On line 18 of Part I, the total number of 1095-C forms accompanying the 1094-C is included.
• And lastly, if this Form 1094-C is the authoritative transmittal for an ALE member in a group return, the box on line 19 should be checked. There can only be one authoritative transmittal filed for each employer.
• Part II: ALE Member Information
• In Part II of Form 1094-C, the filer will provide information on whether or not they’re a member of an Aggregated ALE Group. They’ll also need to include the total number of 1095-C forms filed by and/or on behalf of the ALE member and indicate if they apply for any Certifications of Eligibility.
• If the filer has multiple returns, they only need to fill out Part II on the authoritative transmittal Form 1094-C (as indicated by line 19).
• Part III: ALE Member Information - Monthly
• In Part III, filers indicate how many full-time employees and total employees they had each month of the year.
• Part IV: Other ALE Members of Aggregated ALE Group
• If the filer is a part of an Aggregated ALE Group and checked “Yes” on line 21 of Form 1094-C, they’ll need to complete Part IV.
• In Part IV, the filer lists the names and EINs of other ALE members of the Aggregated ALE Group.

Questions?
So there you have it: Forms 1094-B and 1094-C. If you have any further questions about these forms or how to e-file them, don’t hesitate to contact us here at ExpressACAForms! You can give us a call (704-839-2270) or send us a live chat Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. Can’t make it then? Just send us an email to support@ExpressACAForms.com and we’ll get back with you as soon as possible!

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Q & A: Individual ACA Information Forms

We’ve been talking a lot lately about the importance of Forms 1095-B and 1095-C for employers and insurance providers who need to file them with the IRS. But what about the other journey copies of Form 1095 will take to the health insurance recipients? What information do recipients need to know about the Form 1095 they’ll get in the mail?

To answer that, we’ve put together a little Q & A for individuals expecting to receive a Form 1095-B or Form 1095-C this year:

Will I get any new health care tax forms in 2016 to use on my tax return?
Yes, beginning in 2016, you’ll receive either a Form 1095-A, B, or C, depending on who your insurance comes from (your employer or elsewhere). Similar to 1099s and W-2s, you’ll receive one or more of these forms from the provider(s) of your insurance to summarize the coverage you were offered during the prior year.

When will I receive these health care tax forms?
Typically, you’ll receive these forms around the same time you get your 1099 or W-2: Form 1095 is due to recipients on January 31st as well. However, this year the IRS extended the deadline for 1095-B and 1095-C recipient copies to March 31st, so you may receive those later. Keep in mind though that this won’t affect your return as an individual, and you should file as you normally would.

How will I receive these forms?
Whoever you received your insurance from last year (the Marketplace, a health coverage provider, or your employer) will mail or hand deliver your form(s) to you. If you’ve agreed to accept tax forms from them electronically, you may receive them that way.

Will I get more than one form?
It’s possible. You may get more than one form if:

• you had coverage from more than one provider,
• more than one employer you worked for offered coverage,
• you changed employers or coverage during the year, or
• other members of your family received coverage from another provider.

Check out question 8 of this IRS FAQ for examples of what to do if you receive more than one form.

Will I get a Form 1095-C from each of my employers?
Again, it’s possible. You’ll receive a Form 1095-C from each employer you worked full-time for if they had 50 or more full-time employees.

Can I file my return if I haven’t received any/all of these forms?
That depends: if you’re receiving Form 1095-B or Form 1095-C, then yes. If you and your family were covered for the entire year, check the full-year coverage box on your return. If not, you can claim an exemption or make a payment with your return.

If you received coverage from the Marketplace, you’ll need information from Form 1095-A to accurately complete and file your tax return. You can get a copy of your Form 1095-A by going to www.HealthCare.gov or your state Marketplace website, or calling your Marketplace call center.

No matter which form you receive, you do not need to send it to the IRS as proof of your health coverage with your tax return. A copy is already filed with the IRS by the provider of your forms. It is good, however, to keep the forms as documentation of coverage with your other tax records.

You can find out more about the ACA forms by visiting our website. And filers of Forms 1095-B and 1095-C: if you have any e-filing or ACA-related questions, just send our expert support team an email, live chat, or call! We’re available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, at (704) 839-2270, and 24/7 at support@expressirsforms.com.

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The Adventures of Ace: Filing to Recipients

It’s been a while since we last caught up with Ace, our local (and first ever) e-filing superhero, mostly because he’s been “incredibly busy” playing with his new time machine.

Having travelled far and wide with Trucker B, and now to the past and future with a new sidekick, Doc, Ace is confident he can return to the taxpayers of America with all the information they need regarding the Affordable Care Act forms.

Okay, so Ace’s methods may be a little out there, but at least his knowledge is sound. Although, he does say the same thing about Doc…

“I know, I know, of all the things to talk about now, why those?” Ace continues. “Well, as you probably don’t know, there are consequences to non-irradiated minds knowing EVERYTHING, so I’ll have to share this knowledge with you in bits and pieces.”

Ace continues his announcement by saying that all filers of Form 1095-B or Form 1095-C must send a copy of these forms to their health insurance recipients as well as to the IRS. Their employees or insurance clients need these forms to complete their federal tax return.

“In the future,” Ace says with a new fervor, “these Forms 1095-B and 1095-C will be due to your recipients at the same time as their 1099s and W-2s, which is the last day of January. But for the 2015 tax year,

“Oh, and for those of you also filing 1099s and W-2s,” Ace adds, “these forms’ due dates have not changed. The recipient copies are still due by February 1, 2016 -- my powers of perception tell me that January 31 will be a Sunday this year. Check out our friends at ExpressIRSForms to e-file those.”

As Ace flies off, he shouts out his usual reminder to call upon his sidekicks at ExpressACAForms (“Where they’ll even mail your recipient copies for you!”) for any help with e-filing the ACA forms. We’re here and available by phone (704-839-2270) and live chat Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, and offer 24/7 email assistance at support@expressirsforms.com.

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ExpressACAForms: The Features

At ExpressACAForms, we’ve worked hard to create the best program for e-filing your Affordable Care Act forms. After all, this is the first time anyone’s filing these forms, and you only get one time to make a first impression, right?

Part of what makes ExpressACAForms such a user-friendly program are all of the great features we’ve included to help you e-file with unprecedented ease. Allow us to take this blog post to tell you a little more about some of those features…

Cloud-Based Filing
At ExpressACAForms, our program is entirely cloud-based, which means there’s no need to download any software or forms. You can access your account and information anywhere you have access to an internet connection, through your desktop, tablet, or phone. But don’t think that means we’re any less safe - we’ve taken every precaution to make sure your information is secure and shared only with the IRS.

Bulk Uploading
Got a lot of recipients? Already have all of your recipients’ information in a spreadsheet? You really don’t wanna enter your information individually? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. When it comes time to enter your recipients into your forms, you’ll have the option to bulk upload all of their information at once. Use your own spreadsheet, or download the template we’ve made available.

Postal Mail
Before you start printing forms and stuffing envelopes one by one, why not use ExpressACAForms’s postal mail feature? For a small postal fee, you can have your recipient forms mailed for you by a member of our attentive support team.

Help Text and Videos
In the program, we’ve included a Help Text section to explain the ins and outs of the ACA forms. This text updates as you make your way through the forms so all the information you need is at your fingertips. We’ve also created a series of videos to help clear up any confusion you may have as you begin filing. You can check them out on our Youtube channel!

Customer Support
When we say we’re here for you, we mean it. At ExpressACAForms, we don’t just want to help you file your forms, we want to help you understand them. If you have any questions or need help along the way, give us a call. Or a live chat. Or an email. Our phone (704-839-2270) and chat support is available live Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST; and email support is available 24/7 at support@expressirsforms.com.

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Ace and the 1095s

You heard correctly, taxpayers: Ace is back from his time at ExpressIRSForms to continue helping the “citizens” of ExpressACAForms understand the new Affordable Care Act forms and the e-filing process.

Worried over what mayhem Confusion’s minions may have wrought in his absence, Ace immediately begins canvassing the city. Much to his surprise (he was gone for a whole day, after all), things seem to be carrying on peacefully. The taxpayers aren’t pulling their hair out or banging their heads against desks over IRS docum--

Flying into the office building he heard the cries coming from, Ace finds a taxpayer yelling at his computer, unknowingly under the influence of Confusion. At the sight of Ace, Confusion disappears in a wisp of smoke, leaving only the disgruntled employee and the slight scent of bewilderment. Choosing to focus on the task at hand, Ace addresses the employee instead of chasing after the twisting trail of Confusion.

Ace listens as the employee tells him that he knows they’re a large company and so he thinks they have to file Form 1095-C for each employee but he doesn’t know what he needs to report. “A good question indeed!” Ace exclaims before he launches into one of his world-famous explanations:

“Well that’s not so bad. And as the Human Resources guy around here, I already have most all of that information! I don’t know why I got so confused,” the employee admits to Ace.

“Twasn’t your fault, taxpayer,” Ace explains to the employee. “Confusion can make fools of us all! And if you need any more help, don’t yell out your window: simply contact one of my sidekicks at ExpressACAForms. They’ll help you file these forms in a snap!”

And with that, Ace flies off to wherever else it is that he is needed.

And if you need us to help you with your e-filing, give us a call, live chat us, or send us an email. We’re available by phone and live chat Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST and by email 24/7 at support@expressirsforms.com!

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More Time to File: ACA Forms and Extensions

The fact that the time to file the new IRS Affordable Care Act forms is right around the corner might be stressing you out. And that first sentence might be an understatement if you know this means a lot more paperwork for you and your business.

(Although we do use the term “paperwork” loosely because there’s no paper with an e-filing service like us!)

Since we care about your stress levels here at ExpressACAForms, we first want to take a moment to remind you to take a deep breath in, 1...2...3...4, and out, 1...2...3...4. And if that’s not enough to slow down your heart rate, here’s some reassurance that filing your ACA forms doesn’t have to be as stressful as you think:

The IRS is Giving First-Time Filers a Break
And the first-timers in this case are all of the filers! For 2015 filings (which are coming up in January), the IRS won’t impose penalties for incorrect or incomplete information. BUT you will only be given relief from these penalties if you can prove that you made good faith efforts to comply with the reporting requirements.

You Can Apply for an Extension
Like with other information returns, you can apply for an extension of time to file ACA Forms 1094 and 1095. Whether you’re filing Form B or C, you can get an automatic 30-day extension of time to file by completing Form 8809 before your original due date for the forms (for paper filers, that’s February 29, 2016 and for e-filers, that’s March 31, 2016). You won’t even need to give a reason why you’re filing late. Added bonus: you can e-file Form 8809 through our sister program ExpressIRSForms for only $2.99! Now, keep in mind that even if your extension is approved, you still have to furnish your 1095 forms to your recipients by January 31, but…

You Can Apply for an Extension for That Too
So you can’t get an extension for providing forms to your recipients with Form 8809, but you can get one if you request for one before January 31. To get this extension, you’ll need to send a letter to the following address:

Internal Revenue Service, Information Returns Branch 

Attn: Extension of Time Coordinator

240 Murall Drive

Mail Stop 4360

Kearneysville, WV 25430

In your letter, you’ll need to include your name, Tax ID Number (TIN), address, the type of return (in this case, 1095-B or 1095-C), a statement that your request is for providing statements to recipients, a reason for the delay, and a signature of the filer or an authorized agent. If your request is approved, you’ll generally be given a maximum of 30 extra days to furnish the forms.

And Just to Scare You Straight
If you fail to comply with the ACA reporting requirements, you may be subject to penalties imposed by the IRS. The penalty for failure to file is generally $250 per form, with the total penalty for a calendar year not exceeding $3,000,000. And the IRS has special rules in place that can increase the per-statement and total penalties if you intentionally disregard filing. So it’s probably best to stay on the IRS’s good side.

If you need any help e-filing your ACA forms, or have any questions along the way, the ExpressACAForms support team is here! We’re available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST for phone (704-839-2270) and chat support, and 24/7 at support@expressirsforms.com.

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