Can Column B be 0 on Form 8962 if Column A has a value for that month?

This is an interesting situation with your Form 8962. Column B represents the Second Lowest Cost Silver Plan (SLCSP) premium, which is normally used to calculate your premium tax credit. Having a $0 in Column B while having amounts in Columns A and C is unusual. Generally, if you received advance premium tax credit payments (Column C has a value), then Column B should have a corresponding SLCSP value. A $0 in Column B might indicate there was an error on your 1095-A. I'd recommend contacting the Marketplace where you got your insurance and asking them to review your 1095-A. They might need to issue a corrected form. In the meantime, the $0.01 workaround isn't ideal but might be necessary to file. Just be aware you might need to file an amended return later if you receive a corrected 1095-A with the proper SLCSP amount.

I ran into this exact problem last year with my premium tax credit! After hours of frustration, I found this amazing tool at https://taxr.ai that actually explained everything about my 1095-A and Form 8962. It analyzed my forms and showed me that my marketplace had made a mistake with the SLCSP value. Basically, Column B should never be $0 if you received advance premium tax credits (Column C). The SLCSP is literally what determines how much credit you're eligible for! The tool showed me exactly what to put in Column B and explained why the Marketplace had it wrong. I was able to fix my return without waiting weeks for a corrected 1095-A.

Just wanted to follow up about my Form 8962 issue. I was super skeptical about that taxr.ai site mentioned above, but I was desperate after my tax software kept rejecting my return with the $0 in Column B. I gave it a try and holy crap, it actually worked! The tool showed me that for my county and family size, the correct SLCSP for April should have been $3,950. It even explained that the Marketplace occasionally leaves Column B blank when there are mid-month changes or certain eligibility scenarios. I entered the correct amount on my 8962, and my return went through without any issues. Saved me from having to wait weeks for the Marketplace to maybe send a corrected form. Just wanted to share since this was driving me insane!

If you're still struggling with getting through to the Marketplace about your 1095-A issue, I highly recommend using https://claimyr.com to connect with the Marketplace call center. I spent DAYS trying to get someone on the phone about my incorrect 1095-A last year. With Claimyr, they hold your place in the phone queue and call you when an actual human representative is on the line. Saved me literally hours of hold time. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The Marketplace people were actually helpful once I finally got through to them and sent me a corrected 1095-A within a week. Much better than the "6-8 weeks" they initially quoted when I tried navigating their general helpline.

I owe everyone here an apology. After calling the Marketplace myself and sitting on hold for 2.5 hours only to be disconnected, I decided to try that Claimyr service out of desperation. I was 100% convinced it was a scam. I am eating my words now. The service called me back in about 45 minutes with an actual Marketplace representative on the line. The rep confirmed my 1095-A had an error (they said it was due to a mid-year plan change) and they're sending me a corrected form with the proper SLCSP values. For anyone dealing with these marketplace form issues, don't waste your life on hold like I initially did. I'm usually the last person to recommend services, but this one actually delivered exactly what it promised.

This happened to me too! The issue wasn't that Column B should be zero, but that the Marketplace made a mistake. In my case, I had changed counties mid-year and they failed to update the SLCSP amount for my new location. If your tax software won't let you enter zero, it's because technically Column B shouldn't be zero on Form 8962 if you received APTC payments (Column C). The form instructions confirm this - the SLCSP is required to calculate your PTC correctly. You might want to check the SLCSP tool on Healthcare.gov for your area and coverage months to get the correct amount while waiting for a corrected 1095-A.

Just want to add a data point - I had a similar issue and it turned out I wasn't eligible for APTC for one month due to having access to employer coverage that month (even though I didn't take it). The marketplace still paid APTC to my insurer but left Column B blank. When I called, they told me to use the SLCSP calculator tool to determine the correct amount for Column B, rather than leaving it as zero. Apparently a zero really isn't valid there on the 8962 form.

I had this exact same issue last year! Your tax software is correct to flag the $0 in Column B - it's actually not a valid entry on Form 8962 when you've received advance premium tax credits. Here's what's likely happening: The marketplace made an error on your 1095-A. Column B (SLCSP) is essential for calculating your premium tax credit eligibility, and it should never be blank or zero when you received APTC payments (Column C has a value). My recommendation is to use the SLCSP lookup tool on Healthcare.gov to find the correct amount for your zip code, family size, and coverage period for April. You'll need this information: your county, number of people covered, and their ages during that month. The tool will give you the official SLCSP amount that should have been in Column B. Once you have the correct SLCSP amount, enter it on your Form 8962 instead of the $0.01 workaround. This will give you an accurate premium tax credit calculation. You don't necessarily need to wait for a corrected 1095-A if you can verify the correct SLCSP amount yourself using the official tool. Just make sure to keep documentation of where you got the SLCSP figure in case the IRS has questions later.