Don’t Lose Your Discount

Learn about what you need to do so you don’t lose your premium tax credits:

If you get financial help (premium tax credits) from the HealthCare.gov Marketplace, you will need to do your taxes every year. This is true even if you don’t have to pay taxes because of low-income.

Open Enrollment to renew or sign up for health insurance is November 1 - December 15. You will not get financial help in the future if you don’t file taxes. Your tax return takes about 3 weeks to process.

You have 3 ways to do your federal taxes:

#1: Use an online tax program

Go to the IRS website to find free, online filing: Click Here

#2: Get free, in-person help

Call 2-1-1 and ask for free, in-person tax help near you. There are free programs that run from February to April:

  • Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites

  • Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE)

#3: Go to a tax preparer

Go to Google and search “Tax Preparation near me” to find a company with a nearby location. Call and ask:

  • How much they charge

  • How soon they can help you

Information you’ll need:

  • Form 1095-A

  • Form 8962 (Premium Tax Credit Form)

    • This must be attached to your tax return

    • Find it online by clicking here

  • Social Security Number (SSN) or taxpayer identification number (TIN)

    • For you and your dependents, such as your children and spouse.

  • Birth date for you and each of your dependents

  • Income

    • Documents showing how much money you made and who paid you during the year, such as your W-2

  • Certain expenses

    • Documents showing how much you paid in tuition, student loan interest, mortgage interest, or childcare expenses, if any.

You can download a printable PDF of this information

Click the image to download a copy in English and Spanish.