Just want to add some clarification here - the SRA (Supplemental Retirement Account) is basically just a marketing name used by some providers for what is technically a 403(b) plan. My university calls it an SRA too, but when I look at the actual tax documents, it says 403(b). On the 433-A form, definitely check "other" and write in "403(b)" or "SRA (403b)" to be extra clear. The form is designed to collect information about your assets, so they just need to know what type of retirement account you have and its value.

I've been working in university HR for years and this confusion happens all the time! SRA is just a name some institutions use, but the actual tax classification is almost always a 403(b). If you want to be 100% sure, check your year-end statement - it should have the actual tax classification listed somewhere.

I dealt with this exact situation last year and it was definitely confusing at first! Here are a few additional tips that helped me: Make sure you have your 1095-A form handy when filling out Form 8962 - you'll need the monthly premium amounts and other details from it even though you're claiming 0% responsibility. When you get to Part IV, double-check that the policy number matches exactly what your ex has. Even one wrong digit will cause problems. I had to go back and forth with my ex three times because we kept getting different versions of the policy number. One thing that caught me off guard: even though you're claiming 0% allocation, you still need to complete some of the earlier parts of the form with your basic tax information. Don't skip straight to Part IV like I initially tried to do. Also, if you received any advance premium tax credits during the year (even if it was a mistake), you'll need to reconcile those on the form too. The IRS will catch it if you don't. The good news is once you get through it the first time, it becomes much easier if you have the same arrangement in future years. Just make sure to coordinate with your ex each tax season!

I'm new to this community and facing the exact same situation! My ex carries marketplace insurance for our daughter and I'm responsible for 0% of the premium. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the coordination requirements between both parents. A couple of follow-up questions for those who've been through this: 1. Is there a specific deadline by which both parents need to file to avoid the IRS flagging mismatched allocations? 2. What happens if my ex files first with 100% allocation - can I still file afterward with 0% without issues? 3. Should I be concerned if I haven't received a 1095-A form but my ex says they have one for the policy? Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here. The step-by-step guidance from the community is so much clearer than the official IRS instructions!

Giovanni, you're absolutely not overthinking this! This confusion about Box 3 vs. total gross income is probably one of the most common questions we see from people with their first "real" job that includes benefits. Here's what's happening: Your total gross income (what appears in that Earnings Summary section) is literally every dollar you earned before ANY deductions whatsoever. Box 3 (Social Security wages) shows what's left after certain pre-tax deductions are removed - things like health insurance premiums, 401(k) contributions, HSA contributions, and other pre-tax benefits. The simple way to think about it: Total Gross Income - Pre-tax Deductions = Box 3 This difference is actually a good thing! Those pre-tax deductions mean you're paying Social Security taxes on less income (saving you 6.2% on those amounts) while still getting the full value of your earnings through benefits and take-home pay. To verify everything looks correct, grab your last pay stub from December and check that the year-to-date "Social Security wages" matches your Box 3 exactly. If they align, your employer calculated everything properly and you can breathe easy! Welcome to the world of employee benefits - it seems confusing at first, but these pre-tax advantages are actually working in your favor financially!

Giovanni, you're definitely not overthinking this at all! This is probably the most common confusion for anyone getting their first W2 with benefits - I see this question all the time and it's completely normal. Here's what's happening: Your total gross income (in that Earnings Summary) is every single dollar you earned before ANY deductions. Box 3 (Social Security wages) is what's left after certain pre-tax deductions get subtracted - things like health insurance premiums, 401(k) contributions, HSA contributions, dental/vision coverage, transit benefits, etc. Think of it like this: Total Gross Income - Pre-tax Deductions = Box 3 This is actually great news for you! Those pre-tax deductions are saving you money because you pay Social Security tax (6.2%) on a smaller amount while still getting the full benefit of your gross earnings. So if you have $3,000 in pre-tax deductions, you're saving about $186 in Social Security taxes! Quick way to verify everything is correct: grab your final December pay stub and look for "Social Security wages" in the year-to-date column - it should match your Box 3 exactly. If it does, your employer calculated everything perfectly. Welcome to having benefits! Once you understand how this works, you'll really appreciate how much these pre-tax deductions help your overall tax situation.

Has anyone dealt with this by filing Form 8965 for a hardship exemption? I had a similar situation last year.

This is actually a pretty common situation during tax season, especially if you had job changes or life transitions. The key thing to understand is that receiving both forms isn't automatically wrong - it depends on the timing and whether your employer coverage was considered "affordable" under ACA rules. First, check the exact months covered on each form. If your 1095-C shows employer coverage starting partway through the year (like April), then you legitimately could have marketplace coverage with tax credits for the earlier months (January-March). Second, even if the months overlap, you might still be entitled to keep some or all of your premium tax credits if your employer's plan wasn't "affordable." For 2023, employer coverage is considered unaffordable if the employee's share of self-only premium exceeds 9.12% of household income (or 9.61% for 2024). To get your original marketplace application details, log into Healthcare.gov or your state exchange account. You should be able to see your income estimate, plan selection, and premium calculations from when you originally applied. This will help you verify if everything was calculated correctly. If you're still confused about the numbers, consider using Form 8962 to do a month-by-month calculation rather than the annual method - this often gives a more accurate result for situations like yours.

Has anyone used HSA funds for dental insurance premiums? My dentist told me I could but now I'm confused after reading this thread.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation where I've been contributing to my HSA for years but wasn't clear on all the rules. Based on what everyone's shared, it sounds like the key takeaway is that HSAs are really designed for out-of-pocket medical expenses now, with the bonus that they become more flexible for premiums once you hit Medicare age. One thing I'm curious about - for those planning ahead like the original poster, have you considered keeping receipts for medical expenses you pay out of pocket now? I've heard you can reimburse yourself from your HSA years later as long as you have documentation and the expense occurred after you opened the HSA account. That way you could let the money grow tax-free and still access it if needed before retirement age. Also want to echo what others said about the triple tax advantage - it really is the best retirement account if you can afford to let the money sit and grow while paying medical expenses out of pocket in the short term.