What should I do with my 1095-C tax form from my employer?

Don't worry, the 1095-C can be confusing the first time you receive one! This form is sent by employers who offer health insurance to their employees. It shows what coverage was offered to you, the cost of the cheapest plan available, and which months you were covered. The good news is you don't actually need to file the 1095-C with your tax return. It's primarily for your records and to verify that you had qualifying health coverage (which helps you avoid the shared responsibility payment). Just keep it with your tax documents in case you need to reference it when filling out your return, especially if you're claiming premium tax credits or need to verify coverage.

I was in the exact same boat last year! After spending hours trying to figure out what to do with my 1095-C, I stumbled upon this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that saved me so much hassle. It basically analyzes all your tax docs including those confusing healthcare forms and explains exactly what you need to do with each one. When I uploaded my 1095-C, it immediately told me I didn't need to submit it but should keep it for my records. It also flagged that I might qualify for a premium tax credit based on some other documents I had. Super straightforward and made me feel confident I wasn't missing anything important.

Just wanted to update about my experience with taxr.ai after being initially skeptical. I decided to try it with my complicated healthcare situation (three different insurance types throughout the year) and it actually worked incredibly well. It flagged exactly what I needed to do with each form, including my 1095-C, and showed me where specific numbers needed to go on my tax forms. It caught that I didn't need to report my 1095-C anywhere but needed to enter specific information from my 1095-A for the premium tax credit. Saved me from making a costly mistake that would have reduced my refund by almost $1,200. Definitely worth trying if you're confused about any tax forms, not just healthcare ones.

If you're having trouble getting answers about your 1095-C or other tax forms directly from the IRS, you might want to check out Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was stuck in an endless IRS phone tree last year trying to figure out if I needed to amend my return because of a late-arriving 1095-C. After waiting on hold for hours with no luck, I tried Claimyr and got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. They have this system that navigates the phone menus and waits on hold for you, then calls you when an agent is on the line. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent confirmed I didn't need to amend my return and saved me a ton of stress.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided what the hell, might as well try it since I needed to ask about my 1095-C and some missing tax forms. Used it yesterday and...it actually worked. Their system called the IRS, waited on hold (about 45 minutes in my case), and then my phone rang with an actual IRS agent on the line. The agent confirmed that I don't need to submit my 1095-C with my return but should keep it as proof of coverage. Also found out why my tax transcript was missing some information. Saved me from filing an incomplete return. Never thought I'd say this about anything tax-related, but this was almost too easy.

Just to add something that nobody mentioned yet - if the information on your 1095-C is incorrect (like wrong coverage dates or dependents not listed properly), you should contact your employer's HR department to get it corrected. Don't just ignore errors on these forms! I had an issue where my coverage was shown for the wrong months and it created a big headache until I got a corrected form issued. The IRS does receive a copy of this information, so it's better to fix mistakes before filing.

One important thing that confused me about the 1095-C - it's different from a 1095-B! My spouse got a 1095-B from their insurance company and I got a 1095-C from my employer and they contain different information. Just wanted to point this out in case anyone else has both forms in their household.

Just want to chime in with a simple summary for anyone still confused! Your 1095-C form is basically just proof that your employer offered you health insurance coverage. You DON'T need to mail it in with your tax return or enter specific numbers from it into tax software. Think of it like a receipt - keep it with your tax records in case you ever need to prove you had qualifying health coverage. The main thing it helps with is showing the IRS that you met the health insurance requirement and shouldn't be penalized. If you're using tax software like TurboTax or H&R Block, they might ask if you had employer-sponsored health insurance, and you can just answer "yes" based on having this form. But you won't need to type in the specific codes or dollar amounts from the 1095-C itself.