Even if you owe Affordable Care Act taxes, you probably won’t have to start paying them until next year.聽But聽H&R Block wants you to聽come in and talk about them now.
“The Affordable Care Act means big changes this year when you file your taxes,”聽a chipper聽Block employee says聽in. She says the company offers聽a free “tax and health care review.”
Actually,聽most health act taxes聽kick in聽this year and in聽2014, so the earliest you’d have to file them is a year from now. (Tanning parlors starting paying in 2010, but they’re probably not filing through H&R Block.)
But Block says it’s not too early to get advice on聽potential health act tax liabilities聽and eligibility for health coverage.
“When we talked to consumers it was very apparent that they are very confused about what’s going on,” says Meg Sutton,聽senior adviser for tax and health-care services聽at Block. “It’s critical that consumers get out and educate themselves about the Affordable Care Act and how it can affect them and their families.”
For example, those without health insurance聽may want to know what their penalty would be if they don’t sign up for coverage by the 2014 deadline, she said in an interview. And if you want to get coverage for next year,聽the exchanges will use the聽household size and income on your 2012 tax return聽to determine your eligibility for subsidies, some of which will聽be delivered as聽an income tax credit.
Many will be paid by high-income households, which probably don’t use H&R Block either. Starting this year couples聽with more than $250,000 in income will pay a payroll surtax for Medicare and a 3.8 percent tax on investment income.
But non-high-rollers聽could聽also be paying taxes to finance聽the health act. Starting in 2014, most聽individuals who lack health insurance will owe a penalty to be collected by the Internal Revenue Service.聽The penalty, which the Supreme Court ruled is a tax,聽.
Households may also owe extra tax thanks to an for deducting health costs. Starting this year most folks聽can聽deduct only medical expenses that exceed 10 percent of their聽income; it used to be 7.5 percent. The health act also caps聽at $2,500 how much you can contribute to a pre-tax flexible spending account for health care. (Health savings accounts, a type of pretax account without聽the “use it or lose it” provision in FSAs, have different rules.)
- Share on X (Opens in new window) X
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
- Print (Opens in new window) Print
- Republish This Story
Some elements may be removed from this article due to republishing restrictions. If you have questions about available photos or other content, please contact NewsWeb@kff.org.