Medical expense deduction threshold temporarily lowered
With rising health care costs, claiming whatever tax breaks related to health care that you can is more important than ever.
News & Tech Tips
IRS won’t accept returns next year without health coverage
The Internal Revenue Service said that for the upcoming 2018 filing season, it will not accept electronically filed tax returns where the taxpayer does not address the health coverage requirements of the Affordable Care Act, the first tax season it has refused to accept such returns.
“Bunching” medical expenses will be a tax-smart strategy for many in 2017
Various limits apply to most tax deductions, and one type of limit is a “floor,” which means expenses are deductible only if they exceed that floor
Offers of Health Coverage – Employer Shared Responsibility Payment & Filing Requirements
An employer that sponsors an insured health plan (a health plan that provides coverage by purchasing insurance from a health insurance issuer) will not report as a provider of health coverage under Code Section 6055.
Be prepared for the health care act’s “play or pay” provision
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010’s shared responsibility provision, commonly referred to as “play or pay,” is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2014. It doesn’t require employers to provide health care coverage, but it in some cases imposes penalties on larger employers that don’t offer coverage or that provide coverage that is “unaffordable” or that doesn’t provide “minimum value.”
A large employer is one with at least 50 full-time employees, or a combination of full-time and part-time employees that’s “equivalent” to at least 50 full-time employees. The nondeductible penalties generally are $2,000 per full-time employee.
Although the shared responsibility provisions don’t take effect until 2014, employers will use information about the workers they employ in 2013 to determine whether they’re subject to the provisions and face the potential for penalties in 2014. The rules are complex, so contact us today to learn how they may affect your business and what steps you can take to avoid, or at least minimize penalties.