Form 1095-B Information Requirements

We’ve been talking about Form 1095-C for a while, so why don’t we switch gears and talk a bit about the other ACA Form that’s due in the next couple months: Form 1095-B.

Form 1095-B
Form 1095-B, Health Coverage, is one of the forms created by the Affordable Care Act and the IRS for reporting coverage. Anyone who provides minimum essential coverage to individuals during the calendar year must file a Form 1095-B to report the coverage offered. Of course, this is anyone providing coverage who is not an Applicable Large Employer (ALE), because, as we all know, they file on Form 1095-C.

As with Form 1095-C, a copy of Form 1095-B should be filed with the IRS and a copy should be sent to the individual who received the offer of coverage.

Information Needed for Form 1095-B
So before you dive into working on Form 1095-B, make sure you have the following information:

• Part I: Responsible Individual. For each recipient of an offer of coverage, you’ll need to have their
• Name,
• Social security number,
• Date of birth (if their SSN is unavailable),
• Address, and
• The Origin of the Health Coverage code.
• Part II: Employer-Sponsored Coverage. If you provided employer-sponsored coverage, use Part II to enter information about the sponsoring employer. You’ll need to have their
• Name,
• Employer Identification Number (EIN), and
• Address.
• Part III: Issuer or Other Coverage Provider. Part III provides information about the coverage provider. For this section, you’ll need the provider’s
• Name,
• EIN,
• Address, and
• Contact number.
• Keep in mind that this phone number should be that of someone who can answer questions regarding the coverage information reported.
• Part IV: Covered Individuals. If your coverage offer extends to the recipient’s spouse and/or dependent(s), you’ll need the following information on them:
• Name,
• SSN,
• Date of birth (if their SSN is unavailable), and
• The months they were covered.

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The 1095 Forms

There are some pretty important forms you need to add to your tax season repertoire: the Affordable Care Act 1095 Forms.

Think of these forms as the W-2s of the health care coverage the ACA requires you to offer and report on each year. You’ll report certain information about the coverage you offered to each person you offered that coverage and with the IRS on these 1095 Forms.




Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage
We’re foregoing alphabetical order to better explain how these 1095 forms work. Form 1095-C is the form that’s completed by all Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) for their full-time employees. ALEs are employers with 50 or more full-time employees who are thereby subject to the ACA’s employer shared responsibility provisions.

To complete Form 1095-C, you’ll need:

• Employee information (name, SSN, address)
• Employer information (name, EIN, address, contact info)
• The Plan Start Month for each employee
• Offer of Coverage Codes for each employee
• The Employee Share of Lowest Cost Monthly Premium per month
• Spouse and dependent information (name, SSN/birth date, months covered)
• Section 4980H Safe Harbor Codes (if applicable)

Form 1095-B, Health Coverage
Form 1095-B is filed by everyone else who provides health care coverage throughout the year. That means small businesses, insurance agents, certain government agencies, and anyone else who provided minimum essential coverage to taxpayers.

To complete Form 1095-B, you’ll need:

• Filer information (name, EIN, address, phone number, and contact info)
• The total number of 1095-B Forms you’re filing
• Recipient information (name, SSN/birth date, address)
• Coverage type, broken down by month

If you’re using Form 1095-B to report Employer-Sponsored Coverage or coverage provided by another user, you’ll also need that other entity’s name, EIN, address, and contact information.

Form 1094, Transmittal Form
Each Form 1095 comes with its very own Form 1094 (B or C). This is the transmittal form that summarizes the 1095 return it’s accompanying to the IRS. That’s right, this one just goes to the IRS, not your employees/recipients.

When you e-file with ExpressACAForms, we’ll automatically create your 1094 Form for you based on the information that generates your 1095 Forms, all of which are IRS-authorized and made ready to e-file immediately. Check out our site to learn more about these and our various other features, all of which are designed to make your ACA filing as fast and simple as possible.


Questions? Just give us a call! We’re available by phone (704-839-2270) and live chat Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST, and by email 24/7 at support@ExpressACAForms.com.

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Understanding ACA Form 1095-B

When we talk about the information returns associated with Affordable Care Act, we tend to get hung up on Form 1095-C. It makes sense: Form 1095-C is the form Applicable Large Employers file and they’re the “insurance providers” going through the most changes thanks to the ACA. (And “most change” tends to mean “most attention.”)

That’s why we’re taking this post to talk exclusively about Form 1095-B!

Purpose of the Form
Form 1095-B, Health Coverage, is used to report information to the IRS and taxpayers about the minimum essential coverage of health insurance provided by the filer.

And in case you need a reminder: minimum essential coverage (or MEC) is the least amount of coverage legally required for taxpayers to have each year. While it’s the individual taxpayer’s responsibility to make sure they have coverage that meets MEC, it’s also the responsibility of insurance providers to offer MEC plans as set by the ACA.

Who Needs to File Form 1095-B
Generally, every person that provides MEC to individuals during the calendar year must file Form 1095-B to report the coverage. This does exclude certain employers (ALEs) and government employers who are subject to the employer shared responsibility provisions and therefore must file Form 1095-C.

In other words, health insurance issuers and carriers for most health insurance coverage, including individual market coverage and insured coverage sponsored by employers, as well as small employers need to file Form 1095-B for each covered individual each year.

When to File
If you need to file Form 1095-B with the IRS, you must do so at the beginning of the year following the year you offered coverage. And how you plan to file determines when you’ll need to file.

If you’re sending in paper copies to the IRS, you must submit Form 1095-B, along with its transmittal form, Form 1094-B, by February 28 (or 29). If you plan to e-file, you have until March 31. Keep in mind that if your due date ends up falling on a weekend or legal holiday, the deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

And speaking of “automatically extended,” you can get an automatic 30-day extension of time to file your 1095-B forms if you file Form 8809 with the IRS by your original deadline.

And How to File
The more traditional way to file your ACA return is to mail it in each year. While the IRS recommends everyone e-file, you really only have to if you have more than 250 forms to file. So if you’re planning for traditional, mail Form 1094-B and your 1095-B forms by your deadline to:

• Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Center, Austin, TX 73301
• If your principal business is in: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, or West Virginia
• Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Center, Kansas City, MO 64999
• If your principal business is in: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Washington, D.C., Wisconsin, or Wyoming

Of course, if you’re looking for a faster, easier, more secure way to file, then you should e-file with ExpressACAForms! With ExpressACAForms, you don’t have to fill out each individual form by hand before mailing it in, which can leave you susceptible to human error and at the mercy of the postal system. Instead, just upload the the ACA information you have using our bulk upload spreadsheet or one of your own, review the forms our program creates for you, and securely e-file them directly with the IRS.

If you have any other questions regarding Form 1095-B or e-filing your ACA return, give us a call! We’re always happy to help. We’re available at (704) 839-2270 and through live chat on our website Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m ET and we offer 24/7 customer assistance via email at support@ExpressACAForms.com!

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ExpressACAForms E-filing Features: Postal Mailing

When you plan to e-file your Affordable Care Act Return Forms 1094 and 1095, you probably don’t prepare for much mailing. After all, you’re set up to do everything online - why should you have to mail something out too?

Well, regardless of whether you file your ACA Forms with the IRS by paper or electronically, you do still have some mailing to do. Form 1095 (B and C) has to be mailed to your employees or coverage recipients as well as the IRS. And, starting in 2017, they have to be mailed out two months before your forms are due with the IRS.


Form 1095 Recipient Copies
If you’re an ALE (Applicable Large Employer) filing Form 1095-C for all the employees you offered and provided coverage for throughout the year, you have to send a copy of that form to each of your employees. Likewise, if you’re a healthcare coverage provider filing 1095-B Forms for your clients and your clients’ employees, you need to send a copy of Form 1095-B to each individual offered coverage.

Now pay attention because here’s the important part: these recipient copies of Form 1095-B and 1095-C have to be mailed out by January 31 of the year following the year you’re reporting. So the 1095 Forms for the 2016 tax year must be sent by January 31, 2016.

This past year everyone got a break when the deadline was extended to March 31. However, since individuals need their copy of Form 1095 to complete their personal taxes, the IRS has set it up so that, from now on, Form 1095 is sent out with their W-2s, 1099s, or any other tax documents.

Postal Mailing with ExpressACAForms
At ExpressACAForms, we want to make things simple for you. In fact, we bet you’re probably e-filing so you don’t have to deal with stacks and stacks of paper, right? That’s why ExpressACAForms offers postal mailing, an option where you select for us to send out your Form 1095 recipient copies for you, and all for about what you’d pay for postage yourself.

With the postal mailing feature, ExpressACAForms guarantees your forms are postmarked and mailed by the January deadline. In fact, they’re usually mailed by the next business day after you send in your request.

To set up your order, simply select the postal mailing option on your checkout screen after you’ve entered in all of your ACA filing information. Once you pay and transmit your forms to the IRS, we’ll be alerted that your forms are ready to be sent to your recipients. So, in that way, there’s another added bonus to the postal mailing feature: by utilizing it, your ACA filing with the IRS gets done two months ahead of schedule. Think of how much more you can get done with that extra time!

Questions?
If you have any questions about the postal mailing feature or e-filing your ACA return with ExpressACAForms, feel free to contact our wonderful support team! We’re US-based and in the offices all year long, not just during tax season. Give us a call at (704) 839-2270 or send us a live chat or email to support@ExpressACAForms.com, and we’ll be happy to help!

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The Adventures of Ace: Ace's Bar-B-Que

Welcome, welcome!

It’s a hot, sunny August day here in the land of ExpressACAForms, and you’re just in time for the bar-b-que Ace is throwing to celebrate (after taking some time for a little R&R, of course) the first ever ACA deadline!

“Ace sure does like throwing barbeques,” Doc said between bites. “He even got a new grill just for the occasion!”

“Well, Doc,” Ace replied, “it’s the perfect time! It’s still warm out, we’ve got a few weeks of summer left. Plus football season is right around the corner, so we’ll grill out a lot for tailga-”

“No need to convince me,” Doc interrupted. “Your burgers are doing a good enough job of that!”

“So, Ace,” an ACA filer and honored barbeque guest began. “Are we really done with 2015 ACA filing? I mean, there isn’t anything else we need to do, is there?”

“Unless you’re still working on any corrections, and as long as your forms have been accepted by the IRS, the 2015 ACA filing is over!” Ace replied amidst cheers.

“But don’t forget,” Ace continued as the clapping died down, “you can still access your ExpressACAForms accounts at any time during the year to go over any information to prep yourselves for next year. And my sidekicks work all year long, not just during tax season, so you can always call them if you need any assis-”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s great Ace,” Doc interrupted. “But, uhh, we’ve run out of ketchup. Could you be a pal and pop over to the supermarket?”

“Oh! Of course! Can’t have a barbeque without ketchup! In the meantime, if you need anything, call my sidekicks,” Ace began as he was taking off.

“Ace, I don’t think they’ll be able to help with barbecue-related things!” Doc called after him.

While we can’t guarantee we can help with your barbeque-related needs, we are here for your ACA ones! If you have any questions, give ExpressACAForms a call. We’re available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET at (704) 839-2270 and through live chat through our website. We also offer 24/7 email assistance at support@ExpressACAForms.com.

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What Happens at ExpressACAForms After the Deadline?

It’s officially been a whole month since the 2015 Affordable Care Act filing deadline, and - believe it or not - ExpressACAForms hasn’t slowed down!

Sure, the actual number of forms we’re e-filing with the IRS for our clients has gone down; that’s to be expected when you have awesome clients who file on time. But the work we put into making ExpressACAForms the best e-filing option for Forms 1094 and 1095 hasn’t waned a bit.

We’re Still Helping with Corrections
Some of the errors that cause ACA forms rejections can get complex and time-consuming, especially TIN mismatches. Understandably, you’re already frustrated because you were sure the information you submitted the first time around was correct. And sometimes, even after submitting corrections, you can get another rejection because of a discrepancy in the IRS’s records.

Helping you through the entire correction process is one of the reasons the EACA customer support team is in our South Carolina based office year-round. We want to help make sure your forms are filed and finished, beginning to end, through all the corrections.

We’re Reading Up for Next Year
While the ACA deadline extension this year was a welcome relief for filers, e-file providers, and the IRS alike, it does mean that there’s now less time left for everyone to get themselves together for the 2016 filing season. Then, once January rolls around, we have to deal with the fact that we have half as much time to get ACA filings complete in 2017.

That’s why we’re keeping up to date with IRS news and data regarding 2016 ACA filing. At ExpressACAForms, you can always be sure we’ve got the latest, most secure option in IRS-authorized e-filing software.

We’re Coming Up with New and Better Ways to Help You
Just being up to date with IRS requirements and offering correction assistance aren’t enough to make ExpressACAForms the best and most innovative in ACA e-filing technology. Which is why we also make small tweaks to the program (don’t worry, you can still access and use everything in your account during these updates) during our “off season.” Additionally, keep an eye out for our year-round, full-service Affordable Care Act compliance and e-filing program (coming soon!), which offers even more ACA tools than EACA!


As we said earlier, if you have any questions, the EACA support team is here to help! 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. EDT. Or send us an email anytime to support@ExpressACAForms.com.

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The ACA E-filing Deadline is Only a Week Away

If you haven’t yet started on your ACA Forms 1094 and 1095 as a part of your Affordable Care Act return, it’s getting to be the time to begin doing so. The deadline to have your 2015 ACA Return e-filed to the IRS is next Thursday, June 30, 2016. The forms must be transmitted by 11:59 p.m. in whichever time zone you’re reporting.

But suppose you really haven’t started anything with your ACA forms. In fact, all you’ve got is the document you recorded your employees’ coverage information in as you offered it to them. Well, there’s no need to fret: if you decide to e-file with ExpressACAForms, you’ve got all you need to get your ACA return completed and e-filed quickly and accurately.

Once you create an ExpressACAForms account, all you have to do next is upload the ACA data you have, in whatever file format you have it in. This is a secure upload, and it alerts the program to begin checking your information and creating your ACA return. Once it’s processed, you just review the forms to make sure everything went in correctly, approve it, and it’s e-filed directly to the IRS.

But you’ve got to hurry and get started soon: time’s running out to e-file!

If you have any questions getting started or during the process, we’re here to answer questions by phone Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT, at (704) 839-2270. We also provide 24/7 email assistance at support@ExpressACAForms.com.

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E-file Your ACA Return for Just 10¢ a Form

Unless you’ve already filed your Affordable Care Act Forms 1094 and 1095 the old fashioned way by sending in paper forms to the IRS, you’re probably looking for an ACA e-filing service. Something you may experience in this hunt as an ACA filer in 2016, the first year of ACA filing (reporting tax year 2015), is a wide range of costs for seemingly similar e-filing services.

Because ExpressACAForms was created by a team of IRS-authorized e-filing experts, we’re able to offer fast and easy ACA e-filing through the program for a fair, competitive price. At ExpressACAForms, we generate and verify your ACA return at a base price of $499 per EIN and securely e-file the return for just 10 cents a form!

For that price, you have access to all of these amazing ACA services:

• Flexible employer/employee data capture
• Safe and secure ACA data generation
• TIN verification
• Built-in error checks
• Audit assistance
• Printable ACA Form 1094 and 1095 PDFs
• Expert, US-based support

And with ExpressACAForms, there’s a 100% money back guarantee, so there’s no risk to giving it a try.

Questions about getting started? Give us a call Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT at (704) 839-2270, or send us an email anytime to support@ExpressACAForms.com.

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ACA Reporting for Employers & Health Insurers

In the world of ACA filing, no two returns will be the same. Similarly, how you e-file your return depends on what your role is in the providing of health insurance coverage to taxpayers. In other words, applicable large employers (ALEs) will file differently than how health insurance providers will.

ACA Reporting for Employers
All applicable large employers (ALEs), or those that have more than 50 full-time employees throughout the year, are required to report their offers of coverage on Forms 1094-C and 1095-C each year, beginning with the 2015 tax year. Copies of Form 1095-C must be sent to the IRS, as well as to each full-time employee who was offered at least minimum essential coverage (MEC) that year.

Smaller employers, those with fewer than 50 full-time employees, aren’t required to meet the same coverage providing standards as ALEs. However, if they do choose to offer fully-funded health coverage to their employees, it’ll need to be reported on Forms 1094-B and 1095-B.

ACA Reporting for Health Insurers
Those who don’t fall under the ALE category but still provide health insurance coverage for individuals throughout the year will need to report this on Forms 1094-B and 1095-B. Like Form 1095-C, copies of Form 1095-B need to be sent to the recipients of the coverage as well as to the IRS.


ExpressACAForms offers fast and easy e-filing for all filers of ACA Forms 1094 and 1095, ALEs, small employers, and health insurers alike. Create an account today to get started. And if you need any help, we’re available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at (704) 839-2270 and anytime at support@ExpressACAForms.com.

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How Full-Service E-filing Works with ExpressACAForms

When we’re helping people set up their accounts with ExpressACAForms, we’re frequently asked how this full-service solution works, and what exactly is included in the “full” part of the service. We’ll we’re here to tell ya:


The Full-Service Process
When you begin your full-service ACA e-filing process, it’s understandable to wonder how that process will go. Here’s how in five easy steps:

• Create your ExpressACAForms account
• Provide your basic employer details and upload the employee health benefit details you’ve tracked over the year.
• Sit back and relax as the program works to create your return.
• When you get an email alerting you your return is ready, log back into your account to review and approve your forms.
• Click the big, green button to securely transmit your return directly to the IRS.

That’s it. We’ll send you an email when your return has been processed and let you know if it was accepted or rejected. In the event it was rejected, ExpressACAForms will take you step-by-step through correcting and retransmitting your return until it’s accepted.

What Else is Included?
So that’s nice: the majority of your ACA filing requirement (filling out the forms) is taken care of with ExpressACAForms’s full-service process. But we didn’t want to stop there. The full-service treatment usually means a VIP treatment, right? So to make you feel very important, we also included in ExpressACAForms these awesome features that help make sure your forms are filed efficiently and without error.

Not to Mention…
With your ExpressACAForms account comes access to some of the best customer support in the nation. If you have any questions or need help with your return, just give us a call at (704) 839-2270 Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT. We also offer 24/7 assistance at support@ExpressACAForms.com.

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ExpressACAForms E-filing Features

When you choose to e-file your ACA return with ExpressACAForms, you’re choosing to file with the best of the best. As ExpressTruckTax, ExpressTaxExempt, and ExpressIRSForms have proven, the team behind the Express e-filing line knows what we’re doing, and we can help get your first ACA return filed as easily and quickly as possible.

Our experience as IRS-authorized e-file providers has provided us with some ideas that help make quick and easy e-filing happen. When you sign up to e-file with ExpressACAForms, you automatically have access to all of these amazing features:

• Full-service ACA Filing: In other words, with the exception of you providing your ACA information then reviewing and approving your return, we take care of everything else (creating the forms, transmitting them to the IRS, checking for errors, etc.).
• Automatic TIN Verification: As ExpressACAForms generates your return based on your ACA information, it’s also double checking your data against IRS records to make sure the Taxpayer Identification Numbers (EINs, SSNs, etc.) in your forms match the person or business with whom they're associated.
• Bulk Upload: With ExpressACAForms, you upload all of your ACA data at once, exactly as you have it, whether that’s in an Excel spreadsheet or on completed IRS-created PDFs. Then sit back as the program puts together your 1094 and 1095 forms for you.
• ACA Corrections and Re-transmittals: If for any reason your return comes back rejected, ExpressACAForms will take you step by step through the process of fixing the errors and retransmitting your return as quickly as possible to keep you from incurring any IRS fines.
• Printable ACA Forms: Once your return has been transmitted to the IRS, you’ll have the option to print recipient copies of your completed 1095 forms to mail out, as well as any other forms from your return to keep for your records.

So what are you waiting for? Get started e-filing with ExpressACAForms today to see how easy it is! If you have any questions along the way, we’re here Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT at (704) 839-2270 and 24/7 at support@ExpressACAForms.com.

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ACA Recipient Deadline Extended

But that doesn’t mean you should delay your filing!

Yes, it’s true that the IRS has extended the deadlines for the Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare) forms. And recipient forms, which would normally be due in less than a week (on January 31), now need to be in the hands of your employees or insurance recipients by March 31, 2016.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that the people you send a Form 1095-B or 1095-C to need this form to complete their 1099 or W-2 when filing their individual tax returns. So while your filing procrastinators may not care if you wait until the last minute to send out your forms, your recipients who want to go ahead and file won’t be able to until they receive their Form 1095.

So you can wait until the last minute to file, just know you may have some disgruntled employees if they don’t get their form until March 31 when their deadline is April 15.

Of course, the easiest way to get your copies to your recipients is to e-file with ExpressACAForms. Instead of having to print and mail (or hand out) your forms yourself, let us do it for you. Before you check out and transmit, select the Postal Mailing option. Then, in addition to federally e-filing your forms, a dedicated member of our team will send out your recipient forms within 1-2 business days.

Filing your ACA forms doesn’t have to be a long, complicated process. And with ExpressACAForms, you’ll feel like an expert in no time at all -- the same amount of time it’ll take to e-file your forms through our program!

If you have any questions while you’re filing, or need some help transmitting, feel free to get in touch with our friendly customer service team. We’re available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, by phone (704-839-2270) and live chat; and we also offer 24/7 support through email at support@expressirsforms.com.

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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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Happy New Year from ExpressACAForms!

And if you haven’t heard, it’s a New Year’s Miracle: the IRS has announced they are extending the deadlines for the 2015 Affordable Care Act filings from their original due dates.

Now, before we give you the new dates, we have to put on our “mom voice” and tell you that just because this means you have more time to file, it doesn’t mean things couldn’t go wrong at the last minute. So don’t procrastinate. And since this extension only applies to the 2015 filing year, it might even be beneficial to get in the habit of filing by the original deadlines so that you’re prepared for future years.

Okay, so now that the Voice of Reason has spoken, it’s time for those new deadlines:

• Recipient copies, which were initially due by February 1, 2016, now have to be mailed out by March 31, 2016.
• The paper filing deadline for IRS copies has been moved from February 29, 2016 to May 31, 2016.
• The e-filing deadline for IRS copies have been moved from March 31, 2016 to June 30, 2016.

So the choice is yours: will you celebrate tonight, then get a jump start on these forms next week? Or will you wait until summer to file your tax documents?

But maybe that’s a question for 2016. Either way, the ExpressACAForms support team will be here to help throughout the entire filing season (and the rest of the year) -- beginning January 4th. That’s right: we’re out of the office today and tomorrow for New Year’s, but we’ll be back to answer phone calls bright and early Monday morning. In the meantime, we’ll be offering limited email support at support@expressirsforms.com.

Have a Happy New Year everyone!

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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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The Adventures of Ace: The Holiday Giving Caper

Once upon a December - this one, in fact - Ace, the World’s First E-Filing Superhero, was scrounging about the aisles of his local toy store while simultaneously explaining to the harried store owner why he always shopped small businesses, especially around the holidays.

“Backbone of America, you folks are. Why, if I had a dollar for every time I was able to find the precise thing I needed… Ah! There it is!”

“You see,” Ace explained to the store owner, “I saw on the ExpressTaxExempt Twitter that this past Tuesday was Giving Tuesday and I just don’t feel I gave enough. Imagine me, a superhero, not giving enough?! I could hardly call myself super then. I mean, why not just turn in my spandex at that point?”

“Okay, well here’s your receipt, uhh,” the store owner attempted to interject.

“Ace! My name is Ace! And I have come to this town to rid it of the evil Confusion! You see, it all began in the Dark Ages when a period of intellectual darkness overtook--”

“Ace! Thank you! Your receipt!” The store owner successfully interjected, keeping Ace from beginning another “explanation.”

“Someone’s in trouble! Confusion! She’s near! Shopkeep, hold these bags for me. This shouldn’t take long.”

Through the snowy streets Ace flew, listening intently for the sounds of Confusion’s evil spell. He soon found that the source of the noise seemed to be coming from the post office, and quietly crept in to assess the situation.

“Hmm,” whispered Ace to himself. “A patron of this postal establishment seems to be causing quite a disturbance with the postmaster. This must be the work of Confusion!”

“Don’t you see?” The patron pleaded with the postmaster. “I have a very large business and in January I’m going to have to send out thousands of these dumb Affordable Care Act forms to my employees AND the IRS so I need literally all of the stamps you have, and I’m not leaving until I get them!”

“Sir, as I’ve tried to explain, I can’t sell you all of my stamps! This is one of our busiest seasons, I’ve got to consider our other customers!”

“Huh?” The postmaster and patron said in response.

“You see, I’m the world’s first e-filing superhero, and I think I may be of some assistance. My arch-nemesis Confusion has obviously been here, but fear not! I know just how to handle this!”

“You’re gonna make him give me all his stamps?”

“No, silly patron. I’m going to tell you about ExpressACAForms, the simple and fast way to file your Affordable Care Act forms without having to visit a post or IRS office! Now, did I hear correctly that you have thousands of these forms to file?”

“Yes, so I need to start mailing them now if I’m ever going to get them to my employees and the IRS by the due date!”

“Well, first of all, if you have more than 250 forms to file, the IRS requires you e-file with them, so now there’s no need to worry about mailing those. Secondly, ExpressACAForms has an easy-to-use Bulk Upload feature, so even though you have thousands of forms to complete, you won’t have to fill them out individually.”

“But what about my employees?”

“I’m getting to it!” Ace exploded. “Excuse me, I do so hate to be interrupted. Anyway, as I was going to say, you can print and mail your forms to your employees yourself with ExpressACAForms, but they also give you the opportunity to save the forms and email them instead. Or, for a postage fee, you can have the people at ExpressACAForms mail your forms to your employees for you!”

“Now that my work here is done,” Ace said as he flew away, “it’s time to go get those toys. And then I can get some canned goods! Oooh and I’ll cash in my savings account! Hooray Giving Tuesday!”

For any help Ace wasn’t able to provide, you can always get in touch with the ExpressACAForms support team. Located in downtown Rock Hill, South Carolina, we’re available by phone, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, at (704) 839-2270. We also offer live chat through our website and 24/7 email support at support@expressirsforms.com.

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E-File Your 2014 ACA Forms FREE With ExpressACAForms

2015 is quickly coming to a close and, with it, your opportunity to e-file the optional 2014 ACA information returns absolutely FREE with ExpressACAForms!

The IRS has made filing for Affordable Care Act forms for the 2014 tax year optional as a way to allow filers to learn these new forms before the required 2015 filing early next year. And at ExpressACAForms, we’re offering our e-filing services absolutely free so that you can practice these forms at no cost to you.

It’s always free to create an account with ExpressACAForms, but now you can utilize our entire service for free as well. Once you create your account, feel free to look around our program and at the features we offer, including our user-friendly Dashboard, where you can find information about your account, our support services, and access your Address Book.

Throughout the process, we’ve included helpful hints and guidelines to walk you through the forms step by step. When it comes time to incorporate the information for your recipients or employees into your forms, you can enter each recipient’s information individually, or utilize our Bulk Upload feature to enter in multiple recipients at once.

And remember that Address Book we mentioned earlier? Once you’ve uploaded information about an employer or a recipient, their information is automatically saved in your Address Book. Thanks to our cloud-based software, you can access this at any time in the future: like when you’re filing for future tax years. By setting up your contact information and preferences now for free, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and headaches in the future. In other words, your 2015 ACA filings can be done in a matter of clicks if you try ExpressACAForms now!

And keep in mind that a feature that’s always free is our top-of-the-line customer support. We’re available by phone and live chat Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the year at (704) 839-2270. We’re also available 24/7 at support@expressirsforms.com. Give us a call and you’ll see why we’re the best US-based customer support for e-filing you’ll experience.

So give ExpressACAForms a try today! What have you got to lose?

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Happy Thanksgiving from ExpressACAForms!

From our family at ExpressACAForms to yours, a very happy Thanksgiving to you! We’d like to extend our gratitude for each and every one of our customers this holiday season. This is our first Thanksgiving, and we couldn’t be more grateful for all of the hard work and effort that went into getting us up and running for the new year of Affordable Care Act forms.

These new forms are probably the furthest thing from your mind today, and that’s okay. We’ll still be here when you’re ready to provide the easiest and quickest way to file your 1094 and 1095 forms. And as an extra thank you for trying our program, filing for the 2014 tax year is absolutely free!

In the meantime, our office will be closed today, Thanksgiving, and tomorrow, November 27th. Email support will be available again tomorrow and throughout the weekend at support@expressirsforms.com.

Thank you again for choosing ExpressACAForms. We appreciate your business and wish you the happiest of Thanksgivings!

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Dare to Care: Manage Your Stress this Holiday Season

This Thursday marks the beginning of the 2015 holiday season. From now until the end of the year, we’re going to be surrounded by all that makes this the most wonderful time of the year: dinners and get-togethers with family and friends, bright and colorful decorations, glad tidings of great joy! Not to mention the interminable chats with the in-laws, the multitude of crowds, an ever-growing waistline, and, oh, who are we kidding? We haven’t stopped being stressed since October 1st when we first started seeing that blasted red and green in stores.

Stress is a normal part of life. But even the normalcies of life can be aggravating at best and, at worst, unhealthy. Stress becomes negative when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between challenges (sound familiar?). Stress that continues without relief can lead to headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood sugar, chest pain, and problems sleeping. These symptoms can worsen over time, causing chronic illness or disease, like heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.

The good thing about overcoming your stress is that it’s most often free and rarely takes too much of the precious time you’re stressing over. That’s why we’ve rounded up a few ways to help you dodge the seasonal (and future) stress and stay happy, healthy and energized:

• Get some sun! Sunlight stimulates the production of feel-good serotonin and helps relieve seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
• Take a whiff of citrus. Certain citrus fragrances boost good feelings and alleviate stress by upping levels of the hormone norepinephrine. For an all-day pick-me-up, dab a little lemon or orange essential oil on a handkerchief to tuck in your pocket.
• Go for a walk. The rhythm and repetition of walking has a tranquilizing effect on your brain, and it decreases anxiety and improves sleep. Try a brisk, 30 minute walk daily. Plus, workouts can boost your mood for up to 12 hours.
• Utilize pressure points. If you don’t have time for a foot massage, apply firm pressure for 30 seconds to the fleshy place between your index finger and thumb to reduce stress and tension in your upper body.
• Stick to your daily routine. “Prioritize your workouts, book club, etc., and don’t try to squeeze in more holiday than you can handle,” recommends Katherine Muller, PsyD.
• Spice it up. Spicy foods trigger the release of endorphins, the natural chemicals that trigger feelings of euphoria and well-being.
• Or keep it sweet. Eat a spoonful of honey for an instant kick and energy for the long haul. Plus, research shows that its antioxidant and antibacterial properties may improve your immunity. And the darker the honey, the more powerful the antioxidant punch!
• Listen to music. Anxious? Research from the University of Maryland shows that hearing music you love can relax blood vessels and increase blood flow. This not only calms you down, but is good for your heart, too.
• Go for the mangoes. If you’re craving something sweet, grab a mango. The sweet, tangy scent of mangoes (fresh or jarred!) may alter your blood chemistry and send a wave of calm over your body, research from Japan shows.
• Think positive. As hard as it may be, don’t focus on the bad. Negative thinking can trigger your body’s stress response, just as a real threat does. An optimistic outlook will help you cope with challenges that come your way.
• Don’t forget to laugh! Laughing reduces stress hormones and, in turn, helps immune cells function better. All this stress building up won’t matter a week, a month, or a year from now. So whether you burn the pumpkin pie or forget that you said you’d let Great Aunt Muriel stay with you, laugh it off. Enjoy your holidays; don’t stress over them.

At ExpressACAForms, we want to help you not just “get through” this holiday season, but to really enjoy it. If you’re going to “get through” anything, get through this tax season coming up. But not until after you relax and spend a fun holiday surrounded by loved ones. Then you can use ExpressACAForms for as stress-free of a tax filing season as possible! If you run into any snags or have a question, you can get in touch with us via phone and live chat Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at (704) 839-2270. We also offer 24/7 email support at support@expressirsforms.com.

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