Form 8962 Premium Tax Credit (PTC) Free File Fillable Forms Error - Anyone Else Having Issues?

This is definitely a known issue with Free File Fillable Forms this tax season. The Form 8962 has been particularly problematic because of how the system is handling the decimal places in the calculations. The key is to make sure you're rounding correctly at each step of the calculation process. The IRS instructions require rounding to the nearest whole dollar on some lines but keeping cents on others. Double-check that you're following the form instructions exactly - especially in Part II where you're calculating the monthly contribution amount. Another trick is to completely clear your browser cache and cookies before trying again. Several users have reported that this resolved similar issues. Also, try using a different browser entirely - sometimes Firefox works when Chrome doesn't, or vice versa. If you're still having problems after trying these steps, you might want to print the form, complete it by hand, and then enter the final calculated values into the FFFF system rather than letting the system do the calculations. This has worked for many people with similar issues.

After struggling with the exact same 8962 form issues on Free File Fillable Forms for nearly a week, I finally tried using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was seriously a game-changer. I uploaded my 1095-A form and it automatically detected all the monthly premium amounts, SLCSP values, and advance payments perfectly. What I really liked was that it explained each calculation step for the Premium Tax Credit so I could understand why the Free File system was rejecting my entries. Turns out I was making a simple rounding error that was throwing everything off! The tool helped me understand exactly how to correct it. The best part was that I didn't have to abandon Free File Fillable Forms completely - I just used taxr.ai to get the correct calculations and then entered them into FFFF. Saved me from having to pay for full tax software just because of one problematic form.

Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai after my initial skepticism. I decided to try it with just my 1095-A form first before uploading anything else, and I was genuinely impressed. The system correctly identified all my monthly premium amounts and calculated the Form 8962 values perfectly. What convinced me was how it explained each calculation step - I could actually see exactly where I had been making mistakes in my manual calculations. I've since used it for my Schedule C and some investment forms as well, and it's saved me hours of frustration. The Free File Fillable Forms system finally accepted my submission after I corrected the values based on taxr.ai's calculations. For anyone struggling with Form 8962 or other calculation-heavy forms, it's definitely worth trying. Wish I'd found it sooner instead of banging my head against the wall for days with the FFFF glitches!

If you're still having issues with Form 8962 and can't get through to the IRS for help, I highly recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in the same boat - spent hours trying to fix the Free File Fillable Forms glitches and couldn't get anyone at the IRS on the phone for clarification. After waiting on hold for 2+ hours multiple times, I discovered Claimyr through a YouTube video (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and decided to give it a shot. Instead of waiting on hold forever, they called me back when an actual IRS agent was on the line. The agent walked me through the exact issue with my Form 8962 calculations and confirmed there is indeed a glitch in the system for certain scenarios. The best part was that I got the official guidance directly from the IRS - they gave me specific instructions on how to work around the glitch and get my return accepted. Totally worth it after all the time I wasted trying to figure it out on my own!

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was still desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my Form 8962 issues, so I reluctantly gave it a try. Completely shocked that it actually worked. I got a call back in about 90 minutes with an actual IRS representative on the line. The agent confirmed there's a known issue with the Free File Fillable Forms system for Form 8962 when you have certain types of variable SLCSP amounts throughout the year. She walked me through exactly how to complete the form correctly and what values to enter to work around the system limitations. My return was accepted on the first try after making these changes. After spending literally days trying to figure this out and hours on hold, I wish I had tried this service sooner. For anyone else struggling with Form 8962 issues in Free File Fillable Forms, definitely talk to an actual IRS rep if you can - they're aware of the problem and can guide you through it.

For what it's worth, I had similar issues with Form 8962 last year and completely gave up on Free File Fillable Forms. I ended up using FreeTaxUSA instead and had no problems. Their interface for the Premium Tax Credit calculations is much more user-friendly and it's still free for federal filing (state is $14.99). Their system walks you through all the 1095-A entries step by step and handles all the calculations automatically. Might be worth considering if you're still having issues with FFFF and don't want to deal with workarounds.

Just wanted to share that I finally got my return with Form 8962 accepted through Free File Fillable Forms! The trick was to calculate everything manually on paper first, being extremely careful with the rounding on each line. The specific issue I found was that FFFF was rounding differently than the IRS expects for the monthly contribution amounts on lines 11-23. Make sure you're rounding each monthly calculation to the nearest dollar BEFORE entering it into the system. Don't let the system do the rounding for you. Also, for anyone else struggling, I found that entering zeros for any fields that aren't applicable (rather than leaving them blank) helped prevent some of the validation errors.