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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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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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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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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