Like resident taxpayers, U.S. taxpayers living abroad must complete Line 61 under “Other Taxes” and “Health care: individual responsibility” on their Form 1040 or equivalent. For 2016, the IRS will not consider a return complete and accurate if the taxpayer does not report health care coverage for the year, an exemption or a payment. However, U.S. citizens filing as non-residents in foreign countries while covered by an employee health plan, or even by a foreign country’s national health care system, have different considerations when complying with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (“ACA”).
2016 Affordable Care Act Changes For Individual Taxpayers
The Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) imposes the requirement that all Americans acquire health insurance that qualifies as “minimum essential coverage” under the Act. Otherwise, taxpayers may have to make a shared responsibility payment to the IRS when they file their tax return in April. The ACA also allows for a tax credit known as the premium tax credit for taxpayers that purchase health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Known as the individual shared responsibility provision, it requires a taxpayer, his or her spouse, and their dependents to have health insurance minimum essential coverage for the entire reporting year. Most taxpayers already have qualifying health care coverage, and will simply report this fact on their return by checking a box.