affordable care act - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

Keep an Eye on the ACA Rules and Potential Changes

Are your employees enrolled in a health care plan? Here’s something to consider in your planning: Late in 2015, Congress delayed implementation of a significant tax on high-cost employer-sponsored insurance plans — called the “Cadillac tax” — from 2018 to 2020. Under this rule, when the value of a health plan is more than $10,200 for individual coverage and $27,500 for family coverage, the plans face a 40% tax on the excess amount, but businesses now won’t have to face that concern for a couple more years. Even with this delay, it’s worthwhile keeping this potential tax on your radar screen.

Also, if your company was not subject to the Affordable Care Act for 2015, be aware that the thresholds changed dramatically for 2016. An organization becomes an Applicable Large Employer (ALE) when it employs an average of 50 or more full-time and full-time-equivalent employees on business days during the calendar year. ALEs must provide certain employees with health insurance that meets specific standards, or face significant penalties. If you have any questions, please contact your Linkenheimer CPA.

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:05:01+00:00December 7th, 2016|affordable care act|0 Comments

IRS Reminds Employers of Approaching ACA Information Reporting Due Dates:

The IRS is encouraging self-insuring employers and Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) to mark their calendars to ensure they meet the new ACA reporting requirements. Self-insuring employers that are not ALEs must provide Form 1095-B (Health Coverage) and ALEs must provide Form 1095-C (Employer-provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage) to employees by 3/31/16. These forms, plus their related transmittal forms, must be filed with the IRS by 5/31/16, if filing on paper, or 6/30/16, if filing electronically.

If you have any question, please contact your Linkenheimer CPA at 707-546-0272.

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:05:15+00:00March 8th, 2016|affordable care act|0 Comments

Changes to Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

Small employers should be aware of changes to the small business health care tax credit, a provision in the Affordable Care Act that gives a tax credit to eligible small employers who provide health care to their employees.

Beginning in 2014, there are changes to the tax credit that may affect your small business or tax-exempt organization:

Credit percentage increased from 35 percent to 50 percent of employer-paid premiums; for tax-exempt employers, the percentage increased from 25 percent to 35 percent.
Small employers may claim the credit for only two consecutive taxable years beginning in tax year 2014 and beyond.
For 2014, the credit is phased out beginning when average wages equal $25,400 and is fully phased out when average wages exceed $50,800. The average wage phase out is adjusted annually for inflation.
Generally, small employers are required to purchase a Qualified Health Plan from a Small Business Health Options Program Marketplace to be eligible to claim the credit. Transition relief from this requirement is available to certain small employers.

Small employers may still be eligible to claim the tax credit for tax years 2010 through 2013. Employers who were eligible to […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2015-02-26T18:58:08+00:00February 26th, 2015|affordable care act|0 Comments

Impacts of the Affordable Care Act on Employer/ Business Owner

Beginning in 2015, if you employ at least 100 full-time employees or full-time equivalents (and after 2015, at least 50 full-time employees or equivalents), you may become subject to the employer mandate that was enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and if you fail to meet its requirements, you may owe a nondeductible excise tax.

You could potentially be subject to the excise tax, if any of your full-time employees are certified, as described below, as having received “health care assistance,” and you either: (1) do not offer health care coverage for all of your full-time employees; or (2) offer “minimum essential” coverage under your group health care plan that either is not “affordable,” or does not provide “minimum value” to your employees.

If you do not offer health care coverage to your full-time employees, the excise tax will be $166.67 for any month, i.e., 1/12 of $2,000 for 2015, times the number of your full-time employees during any month, reduced by a 80-person threshold (30 in 2016).

If you do offer health care coverage to your employees, but it is not affordable or does not provide minimum value, the excise tax will be […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:05:32+00:00February 10th, 2015|affordable care act|1 Comment

The Personal Impact of the Affordable Care Act

Open enrollment for 2015 for Covered California closes on February 15th.

Open enrollment is the one-time during the year when most Californians who need insurance cannot be denied by a health plan and when millions can get subsidized health insurance for the upcoming year.

All individuals not covered by an employer sponsored health plan, Medicaid, Medicare, other public insurance program (such as Tricare), or meeting an exemption from coverage must acquire an approved private-insurance policy or pay a shared responsibility payment. If you do not have coverage or meet one of the exemptions, you will pay this payment. The fine for 2015 is either a) 2 percent of your total income or b) fines for each member of your household ($325/adult, $162.50/child, or $975/total household), whichever is greater.

Individuals who have limited income may enroll in Medi-Cal at any time.

Health care impacts 2014 income tax returns

Most people already have qualifying health care coverage and will only need to check a box to indicate that they satisfy the individual shared responsibility provision when they file their tax returns in early 2015.

However, an important Affordable Care Act tax provision for individuals and families is the premium tax credit. Further, […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:05:33+00:00February 10th, 2015|affordable care act|1 Comment