How do I get Form 1095-A handling fixed?

[DanTheDapperMan]

Turbotax is preventing me from efiling because of a bug in 1095-A handling. I mailed an extension request today, but I need to get this fixed. Three years in a row this has affected me, but this is the first year my situation is such that I ca

nnot monkey the numbers on the worksheet to get the result I expect.

My problem is this:

For three years in a row, I have received a 1095-A from the healthcare marketplace with a value $0 in everything but column A. Turbotax freaks out if there is a $0 value in column B. It shouldn't. Column B is probably listed as $0 because I did not receive advance payment of the premium tax credit. (Column C is also $0)

Essentially, Turbotax views any ABSCENCE of a value in Column B, or any $0 value in column B as an error. This results in it failing to efile. Even if I just say "okay" to the $0 value during the review process where it gets flagged, when efiling it runs the review again before efiling every time and flags it again - creating a continuous loop complaining about a $0 value in Column B.

That's a bug.

Why is it a bug?

It is a legitimate statement from the healthcare marketplace.

Why does it keep me from monkeying with the values to get it to efile?

Because this year, unlike prior years where I chose to not receive premium tax credit in advance but did not have other insurance, I qualified for other insurance during the first month of the year which disqualifies me from receiving the premium tax credit (if I understand the rules correctly.) For this reason I cancelled the marketplace insurance mid-January 2023, and though I got a refund of unused premiums there still is a value of $388 in Column A of January. Column B of January $0, and I cannot enter the SLCSP value in Column B (although I do know it) because doing so causes me to get credited the premium tax credit as part of the tax filing process, and the only way around that would be to enter a $388 value in Column C of January but that would imply I received an advance premium tax credit which I did not receive and now do not qualify for (and the form itself from the marketplace shows $0 in that cell.)

Turbotax's handling of 1095-A situations is set up entirely for people who choose the advance premium tax credit, and it utterly fails for all other situations. This needs to be remedied.

In addition to the problem with the 1095-A form, TTax did not tell me I would be unable to efile due to this supposed "error" (which is not an error) on my return and went ahead and charged me for the state efiling fee - a fee which is useless unless I can actually efile and should most certainly be returned to me if I am going to have to file by paper.

Someone from TTax please look into this and reach out to me about how this gets remedied.

Thank you

-Dan

[DawnC · Accepted solution]

You can still e-file.    Take the credit for the Premium Tax Credit by entering the correct Column B for January.  The real credit you qualify for depends on your actual annual income, your family size, and zip code.   If you only had coverage for one month, take the credit that you qualify for and file your return.  You know the correct amount for column B and you can leave column C blank (don't enter zero).   

The 'you can't have other coverage' is a requirement when you first enroll.   You have been enrolled for 3 years, so it doesn't apply to your tax return.   You had one month of ACA coverage - you qualify (based on your actual tax return) for the PTC for January, so take the credit and e-file your return.    The 1095-A process changes every year, but that is because the IRS tweaks it processing of the 1095-A every year.   

[DanTheDapperMan]

Okay thank you for the information. I didn't realize the "no other coverage" clause applied only when applying. I'll try efiling that way at a later date.

Turbotax should be updated, though, to handle $0 in Column B. If I hadn't figured out how to monkey with the forms I wouldn't even have gotten my credit when I filed taxes last year. It's a valid situation and one that the software clearly doesn't anticipate, but should be easy enough to address in the interview for the 1095-A.

Thank you!