Can I e-file my taxes without a health care exemption?

[Cindy0H]

Yes, you can if you applied for an exemption or if you indicated that you have a hardship exemption.

If you applied for an exemption through a Health Insurance Marketplace but haven’t heard if you were approved yet, you can enter “PENDING” instead of the exemption certificate number (ECN) and file your 8965 exemptions form.

This means you can file your taxes with no tax penalty taken out. Once the Health Insurance Marketplace reviews your application, they’ll let you know if it’s approved or if you still need to pay a penalty.

If you marked hardship exemption:

If one of the following hardships or situations kept you from getting health insurance in 2018, you can apply for a penalty exemption after you file your taxes. If approved, you'll qualify to get back all or some of your penalty. It works like a rebate.

This might help you:

https://www.healthcare.gov/health-coverage-exemptions/forms-how-to-apply/