Missing my 1095-A form but never had Marketplace insurance - how do I file?
My tax return just got rejected because apparently I need a 1095-A form, but here's the problem... I never actually had insurance through the Marketplace. I started the application process but didn't end up getting coverage through them. I called the Marketplace directly and they confirmed I don't have insurance through them and there's no 1095-A form for me. I've tried calling the IRS multiple times but it's impossible to reach the right department. When I finally get through to someone, they just tell me I need to call back and start over without actually explaining what I should say differently. It's so frustrating because my return is completely held up and I don't know how to move forward. Has anyone dealt with this before? Is there some way to file without this form since I literally don't have one and shouldn't need one? The rejection message is very specific about needing the 1095-A but I can't provide something that doesn't exist! Any suggestions would be really appreciated!
26 comments


Anastasia Kozlov
This is a common issue during tax season and definitely fixable! When your return gets rejected specifically for a 1095-A, it usually means you indicated somewhere on your return that you had Marketplace coverage when you actually didn't. Go back into your tax software and look for any health insurance questions where you might have accidentally selected that you purchased insurance through the Marketplace/Exchange. There's typically a specific question or checkbox about this that you may have clicked by mistake. Once you find and correct that answer, you should be able to resubmit without the system expecting a 1095-A. If you're using a tax preparer, have them review this section specifically. Sometimes the confusion happens because you might have had other health insurance (through an employer, etc.) and the question about Marketplace coverage was answered incorrectly.
0 coins
NeonNebula
•Thanks so much for this! I was pulling my hair out. I'll take another look at my tax software - I'm using TurboTax and I must have clicked something wrong. I definitely have insurance, but it's through my employer, not the Marketplace. Do you know specifically where in TurboTax I should look to fix this?
0 coins
Anastasia Kozlov
•In TurboTax, go to the Health Insurance section and review your answers. Look for any question that asks if you purchased coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace or Exchange - that's the critical one. Change that answer to "No" if you accidentally selected "Yes." Also check if you indicated that you received a Premium Tax Credit or if anyone in your household was enrolled in Marketplace coverage. After making these changes, TurboTax should stop asking for the 1095-A information. When you resubmit, the system shouldn't expect that form anymore.
0 coins
Sean Kelly
Had literally the exact same problem last year! After spending hours trying to figure it out, I discovered that https://taxr.ai could analyze my return and pinpoint exactly where I made the mistake. Their system found that I'd checked "yes" on a question about Advanced Premium Tax Credits even though I had employer coverage. The tool let me upload my draft return, highlighted where the error was, and explained exactly how to fix it. Saved me from having to go through every screen in TurboTax manually! They also have experts who can answer questions about marketplace vs. employer insurance documentation if you're still confused about what forms you actually need.
0 coins
Zara Mirza
•Does this actually work if you've already filed and gotten rejected? I'm having a similar issue but I've already submitted once and got the rejection notice.
0 coins
Luca Russo
•I've never heard of taxr.ai before. Is it secure to upload your tax documents there? Seems risky with all the personal info on tax forms.
0 coins
Sean Kelly
•Yes, it works even if you've already been rejected. You can upload the rejected return and it will analyze what caused the rejection. The system specifically flags health insurance sections that are causing 1095-A related rejections. Regarding security, they use bank-level encryption and don't store your full return after analysis. I was hesitant at first too, but they only need to scan the form data to find the errors, not keep your personal details. They explain their security process on their site, which made me feel comfortable using it.
0 coins
Luca Russo
I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and it was super helpful! I was skeptical about using yet another tax service, but it immediately found where I had accidentally indicated I received a Premium Tax Credit. The issue was buried in a subsection I would never have thought to check. The analysis highlighted exactly which line on my tax form was triggering the 1095-A requirement. Fixed it in 5 minutes and resubmitted without any issues. My return was accepted the same day after being rejected twice before. Definitely worth it for anyone dealing with form rejection headaches!
0 coins
Nia Harris
If you're still having trouble reaching the IRS after fixing your return, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in the same situation last year - needed to speak to someone about a rejected return but kept getting disconnected or told to call back. Claimyr basically holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you back when an agent is about to answer. Saved me from wasting hours listening to hold music! You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I finally reached explained that these 1095-A rejections are super common and gave me specific instructions on how to file a paper return if the electronic one kept getting rejected. But honestly, fixing the health insurance section first is your best bet.
0 coins
GalaxyGazer
•Wait, how does this even work? The IRS phone system is notorious for hanging up on people when they're too busy. Does this actually get you to a real person?
0 coins
Mateo Sanchez
•Sounds like a scam to me. Why would I pay someone else to call the IRS when I can do it myself for free? And how do they magically get through when regular people can't?
0 coins
Nia Harris
•It works by using an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and stays on hold for you. Instead of you listening to hold music for hours, their system does it and calls you when it's about to connect to an agent. It's basically like having someone wait in line for you. They use technology that constantly redials if the IRS disconnects the call, which happens all the time during peak season. I was skeptical too, but I had already spent three days trying to get through on my own without success. With Claimyr I got connected to an IRS agent in about 45 minutes without having to actively wait on the phone.
0 coins
Mateo Sanchez
I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After multiple failed attempts to reach the IRS myself (getting disconnected after waiting 30+ minutes FOUR TIMES), I decided to try it as a last resort. The service actually worked exactly as advertised. I received a call back in about an hour and was connected directly to an IRS representative who helped resolve my 1095-A issue. They confirmed I had incorrectly marked that I received a Premium Tax Credit on my return. The agent walked me through filling out a paper return since my electronic filing attempts were still being rejected. Definitely saved me from the endless frustration of trying to get through the IRS phone system during tax season!
0 coins
Aisha Mahmood
Did you by chance get coverage through your state's healthcare exchange? Sometimes people don't realize that their state exchange is actually part of the Marketplace system, and you'd still need a 1095-A in that case. For example, Covered California and NY State of Health are both considered Marketplace plans, but people sometimes don't connect them with the federal "Marketplace" term. Might be worth checking if that's the case!
0 coins
NeonNebula
•No, I definitely have coverage through my employer's group plan. I get a 1095-B from my insurance company and a 1095-C from my employer. I think I just checked the wrong box somewhere in the tax software. I'm going to carefully go through all the health insurance questions again tonight.
0 coins
Aisha Mahmood
•That makes sense. If you have both a 1095-B and 1095-C, you definitely don't need a 1095-A. The 1095-A is exclusively for Marketplace plans. The tax software should allow you to indicate you have employer coverage by entering information from your 1095-C. Some software also lets you attach images of these forms which can help prevent rejections. Good luck with your review tonight - just carefully read each question and you should be able to correct it!
0 coins
Ethan Moore
I fixed this same issue by filing a paper return after multiple e-file rejections. Sometimes the electronic system gets stuck on expecting a form even after you correct the error. If you've tried fixing it in the software and it's still not working, printing everything out and mailing it in is a hassle but it works. Just make sure you include copies of your 1095-B/C if you have them to prove you had coverage, and attach a brief note explaining that you never had Marketplace coverage and therefore have no 1095-A to provide.
0 coins
Yuki Kobayashi
•How long did it take to get your refund after filing by paper? I heard paper returns take months to process compared to e-filing.
0 coins
Kiara Greene
I went through this exact same nightmare last year! The key is to systematically go through your tax software and look for ANY question related to health insurance marketplaces, premium tax credits, or advance payments of premium tax credits. In my case, I had accidentally answered "yes" to a question about whether I was "eligible for" a premium tax credit, when I should have answered "no" since I had employer coverage. The software interpreted that as me actually receiving the credit, which triggered the 1095-A requirement. Also double-check if you indicated that you or anyone in your household shopped for insurance on Healthcare.gov or your state exchange, even if you didn't end up purchasing. Sometimes the software assumes you bought coverage if you just browsed. The good news is once you find and fix the right checkbox, your return should go through immediately. Don't give up on e-filing yet - it's much faster than paper once you get it right!
0 coins
Anastasia Sokolov
•This is incredibly helpful! I think you might have hit on exactly what happened to me. I remember there being a question about eligibility that was confusing - I probably answered it thinking about whether I COULD get marketplace coverage rather than whether I actually DID get it. I'm going to go back through TurboTax tonight and look specifically for that eligibility question. It's so frustrating how one wrong checkbox can cause such a headache, but at least now I know what to look for. Thanks for sharing your experience - it gives me hope that I can get this sorted out without having to resort to paper filing!
0 coins
Chloe Green
I had this exact issue two years ago and it was so frustrating! After going through the same runaround with the IRS phone system, I finally figured out the problem was in how I answered the health insurance questions in my tax software. The tricky part is that tax software often asks multiple related questions about health insurance, and it's easy to accidentally trigger the 1095-A requirement. Look specifically for questions about: - Whether you purchased insurance through a Marketplace or Exchange - Whether you received advance premium tax credits - Whether you were eligible for premium tax credits (this one is sneaky - being eligible doesn't mean you received them!) - Whether anyone in your household had Marketplace coverage I found my mistake was answering "yes" to the eligibility question when I should have said "no" since I had employer coverage the entire year. Once I corrected that single checkbox, my return was accepted immediately on re-submission. If you're still having trouble finding the specific question that's causing the issue, try starting fresh with the health insurance section and carefully read each question twice before answering. The software should guide you to indicate you had employer coverage instead of Marketplace coverage, which will eliminate the 1095-A requirement entirely.
0 coins
Yuki Sato
•This is exactly the kind of detailed breakdown I needed! I've been staring at my TurboTax screen for hours trying to figure out where I went wrong, and your list of specific questions to look for is super helpful. I'm pretty sure I made that same eligibility mistake - I remember thinking "well, technically I COULD get marketplace coverage if I wanted to" when I should have been thinking about what I actually have. It's crazy how one misunderstood question can derail your entire filing process. Going to tackle this again tomorrow with your checklist in hand. Really appreciate you taking the time to share such specific guidance - this community is a lifesaver during tax season!
0 coins
Ethan Wilson
I went through this exact same frustrating situation last month! The rejection notice can be really misleading because it makes it seem like you definitely need a 1095-A when the real issue is usually just a wrong checkbox in your tax software. Here's what worked for me: I had to go back and systematically review every single health insurance question in my tax prep software. The culprit ended up being a question buried in the ACA section about whether I was "potentially eligible" for premium tax credits. I had clicked "yes" thinking it was asking hypothetically, but the software interpreted that as me actually claiming credits. Once I changed that answer to "no" (since I have employer coverage), the software stopped asking for the 1095-A entirely. My return was accepted on the very next attempt after being rejected twice before. The key is being very literal with these questions - if you had employer insurance all year and never actually purchased anything through Healthcare.gov or your state marketplace, then the answer to ANY question about marketplace coverage, premium tax credits, or advance payments should be "no." Don't overthink the eligibility part - just focus on what you actually had and received. Good luck! This is such a common issue during tax season and it's definitely fixable once you track down that one problematic question.
0 coins
Dmitry Smirnov
•Thank you so much for this detailed explanation! I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now and your step-by-step approach gives me hope. I've been going in circles with the IRS phone system and getting nowhere. Your point about being literal with the questions is really important - I think I was overthinking some of the eligibility questions too. I have employer coverage through my job but I remember there being some confusing wording about "could you have been eligible" that threw me off. I'm going to go through my TurboTax return tomorrow and focus specifically on that ACA section you mentioned. It's so frustrating that one misinterpreted question can cause such a headache, but at least now I know exactly where to look. Really appreciate you sharing your experience - it's exactly what I needed to hear!
0 coins
Omar Zaki
I had this exact same problem last year and it was driving me absolutely crazy! The rejection notice makes it sound like you're definitely missing a required form, but 99% of the time it's just a checkbox error in your tax software. Here's my suggestion: Go through your tax software's health insurance section methodically and look for ANY question that mentions marketplace coverage, premium tax credits, or advance payments. The tricky ones are usually worded like "Were you eligible for premium tax credits?" or "Could you have purchased insurance through the marketplace?" Even if you just browsed Healthcare.gov out of curiosity but never bought anything, answering "yes" to certain questions can trigger the 1095-A requirement. Since you confirmed with the marketplace that you don't have coverage through them, make sure every single health insurance question reflects that you had non-marketplace coverage (employer, private, etc.). The good news is once you find that one wrong checkbox and fix it, your return should be accepted immediately. Don't let the IRS phone system frustration get to you - this is totally fixable within your tax software!
0 coins
Alberto Souchard
•This is such a relief to read! I'm dealing with this exact situation right now and was starting to panic thinking I'd have to wait months for a paper return to process. Your point about the eligibility questions being worded confusingly is spot on - I definitely remember getting tripped up by questions that seemed to be asking "what if" scenarios rather than what actually happened. I think I may have made the same mistake with browsing Healthcare.gov last year when my employer was changing our insurance plan. I looked at marketplace options just to compare but ended up staying with my employer coverage. That probably explains why the software thinks I had marketplace insurance when I definitely didn't. Going to go back through every health insurance question tonight and make sure I'm being very specific about only having employer coverage. Thanks for the encouragement - it's so helpful to know other people have gotten through this same frustrating situation!
0 coins