1095-A & Marketplace Insurance at Tax Time
What Form 1095-A is
Form 1095-A, the Health Insurance Marketplace Statement, reports the coverage you bought through the Marketplace, who was covered, your monthly premiums, and any advance premium tax credit (APTC) that was paid directly to your insurer to lower what you paid each month. You don’t mail the 1095-A itself to the IRS. Instead, the numbers on it are used to fill out Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit, which gets attached to your return.
Your 1095-A is usually available in your Marketplace account between mid-January and February 1, and a paper copy is mailed by mid-February. If you can’t find it, log in to the same account you used to enroll, or call the Marketplace, before you file. Filing without it is the single most common reason these returns get rejected or delayed.
Why it changes your refund or balance due
Most people who buy Marketplace coverage take the premium tax credit in advance, based on the income they estimated when they signed up. At tax time, Form 8962 "reconciles" that estimate against your actual income for the year. On Line 26 you find out whether you used more or less credit than you actually qualified for. If you used less, the difference is added to your refund. If you used more, often because your income ended up higher than expected, you may have to pay some of it back. This is why two people with similar paychecks can have very different outcomes.
What changed for 2026
This is the big one to know about going forward. The "enhanced" premium tax credits that were in place from 2021 through 2025 expired on December 31, 2025. Premium tax credits still exist for 2026, but they are smaller, and the rules are stricter. In particular, the temporary removal of the income cap is gone, so many households earning above roughly 400% of the federal poverty level (about $63,000 for one person, or about $129,000 for a family of four) may no longer qualify for any credit. Independent estimates put the average increase in what enrollees pay out of pocket at well over 100%. None of this changes how you report your 2025 coverage this filing season, but it matters a lot when you plan your 2026 budget and estimate income for next year’s enrollment.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Filing before your 1095-A arrives, then having to amend.
- Entering the monthly figures incorrectly, especially the second-lowest-cost Silver plan (SLCSP) column used to calculate your credit.
- Forgetting that everyone on the policy must be accounted for, even a dependent who later filed their own return.
- Assuming a higher income automatically means a bill, or a lower income automatically means more credit, without actually running Form 8962.
- Ignoring an IRS letter (often a 12C notice) asking for a missing Form 8962, which freezes your refund until you respond.
How Zero Fuss Taxes helps
We guide your intake, make sure your 1095-A is in hand, and check the premium, SLCSP, and advance-credit columns line by line before anything is calculated. An experienced, IRS-registered preparer completes Form 8962, reconciles your credit, and reviews the whole return. You see clear pricing up front and approve the return before it’s filed. If your income changed mid-year or you had a life event, we walk you through what it means in plain language. We never base our fee on the size of your refund.
FAQ
What if I lost or never received my 1095-A?
Log in to the Marketplace account you used to enroll, where it’s usually posted by early February, or call the Marketplace to request a copy. Don’t guess at the numbers and don’t file without it. We can help you confirm you have the right form before you file.
Will I have to pay money back?
It depends on your actual income for the year versus what you estimated when you enrolled. Form 8962 settles the difference. We can’t tell you the result without your documents, and we never guarantee a refund, but a careful review makes sure the number is right and that you claim every credit you’re entitled to.
How much does this cost and how do I start?
Simple W-2 returns start at $50 and self-employed returns at $150; returns with Marketplace coverage are quoted after a quick review. Start your guided intake online in about two minutes, upload your 1095-A and other documents securely, and a real preparer takes it from there with status updates along the way.