Just realized I forgot to include 1095-B and 1095-C forms after my tax return was accepted - what now?

Don't panic! This is a common situation and generally not a big problem. Forms 1095-B and 1095-C are informational forms about your health insurance coverage. The 1095-B comes from your health insurance provider, while the 1095-C comes from employers who offer health insurance. The good news is that you typically don't need to file these forms with your tax return. They're sent to you for your records and to verify that you had qualifying health coverage throughout the year. You only needed them to accurately answer questions about your health insurance coverage on your tax return. If you correctly reported your health insurance situation on your return (that you had coverage through your employers), then you likely don't need to amend your return at all. These forms are just documentation of what you already reported. However, if the information on these forms reveals that you made an error in your health insurance reporting, then you might need to file an amended return (Form 1040-X).

I went through something similar last year with my 1095 forms. Instead of stressing out, I used https://taxr.ai to upload my tax documents including those late-arriving 1095 forms. The system analyzed everything and compared what I actually filed against what I should have filed with those health insurance forms. In my case, it turned out I didn't need to amend my return because I had correctly reported my coverage despite not having the physical forms when I filed. The analysis showed exactly where the information from the 1095 forms would have appeared on my return and confirmed it matched what I submitted. The peace of mind was worth it - took like 5 minutes and I could stop worrying about missing something or getting in trouble with the IRS.

I wanted to follow up about my skepticism regarding taxr.ai. I decided to try it out with my late-arriving 1099-INT from a savings account I forgot about. Upload was super straightforward and the analysis showed me exactly how much additional tax I would owe if I amended. It even highlighted the specific lines on my return that would change. What impressed me was how it explained in plain language why an amendment was necessary in my case (unreported interest income) versus when you can skip amending (like with most 1095 forms that are just informational). Completely changed my perspective on these AI tax tools. They're way more sophisticated than I expected.

If you're stressing about contacting the IRS to ask questions about these 1095 forms, I've been there. Spent literally HOURS trying to get someone on the phone last year. Then I found https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c which shows how they basically wait on hold with the IRS for you. I was getting nowhere trying to figure out if I needed to amend for a similar health insurance form situation. Used their service and got a call back when an actual IRS agent was on the line. The agent confirmed that for my situation with late 1095 forms, no amendment was needed since I had correctly reported my coverage status. Saved me hours of frustration and uncertainty. They handle the nightmare of IRS hold times so you don't have to.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself because I've been trying to reach the IRS for THREE WEEKS about an issue with my stimulus payment. The service worked exactly as described. I entered my phone number, and about 2 hours later I got a call saying "Please hold for the Internal Revenue Service" - and there was an actual IRS representative on the line! I was shocked. I got my question answered in 5 minutes after spending weeks trying to get through myself. For anyone struggling to reach the IRS, this is legitimately worth it. I'm not a person who admits I'm wrong often, but I was definitely wrong about this service.

Just to add another perspective - I've received 1095 forms late for the past three tax seasons. As long as you had health insurance and reported that correctly on your tax return, you really don't need to do anything with these forms except keep them with your tax records. The only time you'd need to amend is if you claimed you DIDN'T have insurance when these forms show you actually did, or if you claimed a premium tax credit incorrectly based on info that would be on a 1095-A (which is different from B and C forms).

Don't forget that the IRS has been seriously backed up since the pandemic. Even if you did need to amend (which sounds like you don't based on your situation), they're taking FOREVER to process amended returns. My brother amended his 2022 taxes in May 2023 and didn't get his refund until February 2024!