Reporting Covered Individuals on Form 1095-B

In order to complete Form 1095-B, filers must include information on covered individuals. These are the individuals who were not directly offered an insurance plan but who still benefit from the health care coverage: spouses and dependents.

Form 1095-B: Lines 23-28
Lines 23 through 28 make up Part IV of Form 1095-B, which is where information about the covered individuals is reported. On these lines you’ll include:

• the covered individual’s name,
• their social security number,
• or their date of birth if you don’t have their SSN,
• and indicate which month(s) they were covered.

To help make sure all of your information is present and accounted for before you e-file, get started with ExpressIRSForms today! Our built-in error checks help to make sure you have everything filled out accurately before anything gets filed with the IRS.

If you have any questions about the e-filing process, give our expert customer support staff a call! We’re available Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT, at (704) 684-4751. We also offer 24/7 email assistance at support@ExpressIRSForms.com.

Read More »

How to E-file Form 1095-B with ExpressIRSForms

If you saw our post the other day about e-filing Form 1095-C with ExpressIRSForms and thought, “That seems helpful, but I need to e-file the 1095-B,” then this post is for you. Today we’re going to go over how to e-file Form 1095-B with our program.

Getting Started
This part isn’t too different from Form 1095-C; you’ll still need to create or log into an account on ExpressIRSForms to start the e-filing process. Once you’re logged in, you’ll see a button that says, “Create New Forms.” Click this, then click “Start Now” under the ACA option.

Employer Information
Next, you’ll start the process by entering the employer information for your return. If you’ve already entered employer data before, you can select it from the drop-down menu. You’ll need to indicate if you, the filer, are an employer or the insurer and whether or not you’re a governmental unit. Once all of the employer information is entered and correct, click Next.

Before you enter employee information, the program determines if you’re a member of an aggregated group and which form you’ll need to file based on the type of insurance offered and the amount of employees you have.

Employer Offered Coverage
The next step is to enter the employee data, including the offers of coverage made to them. You can do this individually, entering each employee and his/her information in one at a time, or you can use our bulk upload option. Just download the Excel template we provide and enter your information - or use one of your own - before uploading the information of all of your employees at once.

Summary
Once all of your information has been entered, you’ll see a summary screen that gives you the opportunity to review and edit your return. Once you’re satisfied, click Review, and we’ll perform one last error check to make sure your return is free of any obvious errors before e-filing it to the IRS.

And that’s really all there is to it. If you’re more of a visual learner, have a look at this video we’ve made taking you step-by-step through the 1095-B e-filing process:

If you have any questions about e-filing with ExpressIRSForms, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! We’re available by phone (704-684-4751) and live chat Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT. For assistance 24/7, send us an email to support@ExpressIRSForms.com.


Looking for something a little less hands on? Try ExpressACAForms, our full-service ACA e-filing solution!

Read More »

Got A Lot of ACA Forms to Send Out? Bulk Upload to File in Minutes!

ExpressIRSForms has always worked to make e-filing your information returns with the IRS as easy and hassle-free as possible. That’s why we introduced the Bulk Upload feature with one of our first releases, allowing users to seamlessly upload information and create 1099 or W-2 forms.

Now that you can e-file ACA Forms 1094 and 1095 with ExpressIRSForms, the Bulk Upload feature has been tuned up to include these forms as well!

After you start to e-file ACA Forms 1095-B or 1095-C, you’re asked if you want to enter your employee/recipient information individually or all at once. If you opt for all at once, you’re taken to a screen where you can download our ACA Bulk Upload Excel Template to use or upload one of your own.

Once you upload that template, your ACA forms are completed, without you re-entering all the information you already have into little boxes on a computer screen for (what would at least seem like) hours.

And soon, you’ll even be able to use our Bulk Upload option with file formats other than Excel! We’re working now to add the option to upload already completed ACA PDFs for filers who have their forms but no way to e-file them.

Ready to start e-filing? Log into your ExpressIRSForms account to e-file your ACA forms with the IRS today! If you need help getting started, you can give us a call at (704) 684-4751 during our office hours, which are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT, or send us an email anytime at support@ExpressIRSForms.com.




Looking for something a little less hands-on? Check out ExpressACAForms, our full-service ACA e-filing option.

Read More »

Ace Adventures: Paper Filers, Start Your Engines!

“Oh, good, you’re here! It’s me, Doc! Things are getting pretty crazy here in ExpressIRSForms, what with the ACA deadline at the end of this month and everyone still being a little unsure about these forms altogether. We don’t want another surprise visit from Confusion on on our hands. Come on down to the square, everyone’s waiting for Ace to come out and tell us what we need to do next!”

“In fact, no one’s around! Where is everyone? It’s almost eerie how quiet it is.”

BANG

“Did you hear that?? That sounded like a gun! We’d better get moving; someone might be in trouble! Heck, Ace could be in trouble! I don’t know if that boy’s bullet-proof or not…”

“What the -- the racetrack? What in the sam hill is going on here? Oh, I suppose there’s no use in asking you, you just got here. We gotta find Ace. He’ll know what’s up. Let’s see about getting inside. There you are!”

“Hey, Doc! What’s up?” Ace, who had just walked out of the racetrack, asked.

“You know I hate those jokes.”

“What jokes?”

“The ‘what’s up, doc?’ one -- oh, never mind that now. What happened to everyone? Confusion hasn’t got them has she?”

“Once I explained to the crowd,” Ace continued, “that e-filers had until June 30, and told them that was just the beginning of the e-filing over paper filing benefits, most of them figured it would be best to check out ExpressIRSForms or ExpressACAForms to e-file their ACA forms. Then the paper filers hurried off to work on finishing their forms by the 31st, and the rest of us came here for the big race today. I tell ya, I don’t know how that tortoise keeps beating that hare but--”

“Whoa, before you get going there Ace,” Doc interrupted, “you wanna give the kid here a little recap of your speech? I’m afraid I made us a little late.”

“Oh, of course! Well, the paper filing deadline for ACA forms 1094 and 1095 is May 31, meaning copies need to be stamped and mailed by that day to the IRS. Now, if you have over 250 forms to file, you’re required to e-file. That was the point that got a lot of people who thought they could paper file. Although, why you’d wanna paper file 250 forms, who knows.

“Anyway, paper filing is great and all if you’re a traditionalist, but you’re way less likely to make an error e-filing. Plus, e-filing’s much more secure and helps the whole filing process go more smoothly, especially when it comes to correcting any errors. So, that’s fine if you want to paper file, but more time and security makes e-filing the sweeter deal.”

That’s right, any questions you have regarding ACA e-filing can be directed at us, the ExpressIRSForms support team, AKA Ace’s sidekicks. You can reach us by phone (704-684-4751) and live chat Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT. We also answer emails 24/7 at support@ExpressIRSForms.com.

Read More »

Ace Adventures: We're Just Getting Started

“Boy, it was nice of Ace to throw us this bar-b-que!”

“Yeah, he sure does go all out for the end of filing season, huh?”

Weeks ago, when he was helping to mail out ACA Forms 1095-B and 1095-C for ExpressIRSForms, Ace took it upon himself to also mail out invitations for his Post-March-31st-Deadline Bar-b-Que to everyone in the city. So here we are today, celebrating the IRS deadline for 1099s and W-2s and the recipient copy deadline for ACA forms for payers and employers.

“Great cook-out, Ace,” a taxpayer Ace helped out earlier this year came up to the grill to say.

“Thanks, it was Alex’s idea,” Ace replied. “I just couldn’t figure out what to do that could include the entire city, but I just had to do something now that that March 31st deadline is over.”

“Yeah, about that,” the taxpayer began. “I thought March 31st was the ACA deadline, but my buddy over there was saying that that’s not until June 30. I don’t get it...why’d I send out all those forms by March 31 if the deadline isn’t until June 30?”

“You see,” Ace continued, “March 31st was the deadline to have your 1095-B and 1095-C forms furnished to your employees or recipients. The deadline to e-file with the IRS is June 30. There’s also a paper filing deadline on May 31, but I don’t want to bring that up too loudly. It could attract Paper Cut!”

“Wait, so the IRS deadline for ACA forms wasn’t last week? I could have sworn it was.”

“And typically it will be. In fact, the IRS announced initially that March 31st would be the e-filing deadline for this year, but in the early days of the 2015 filing season, they decided to extend each of the deadlines so filers had time to clear up any confusion before submitting their forms. But, in future years, recipient copies are due January 31 and IRS copies are due March 31.

“Hey, so Ace,” a taxpayer who picked up on part of their conversation began, “I had my forms sent to my employees through ExpressIRSForms, and they made me transmit them to the IRS to have that done. So I don’t need to do anything else before June 30?”

“That’s correct, other citizen!”

“You had someone send your forms for you?”

“I sure did! And you can, too!”

The 1099 and W-2 filing season may be over, but with ACA, we’re just getting started! Head on over to www.ExpressIRSForms.com to set up your free account. And if you have any questions along the way, give us a call. We’re available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT, at (704) 839-2270. We’re also available 24/7 at support@ExpressIRSForms.com.

Read More »

ACA Filing in the Year 2017

By now you probably know that the filing deadlines for the ACA Forms 1095-B and 1095-C have been extended. Your recipient forms are due to be sent out before March 31; paper filers must file with the IRS by May 31; and e-filers must transmit their forms to the IRS by June 30. So since we’ve got some time before our first deadline, let’s take a moment to look ahead to one year from today to see what the future holds for ACA filing.

*Buzzing and whirring sounds of the time machine*

Ah, here we are. The year is 2017, the date February 8. The 45th President of the United States, [insert reader’s candidate preference here], has recently been sworn in as the nation watched from their TVs, computers, and iPhone 11s (why they skipped 7 and went straight to 11, only 2016 can tell). But despite all the healthcare talk during the presidential race, ACA filing is still here, and it’s still required of insurance providers and Applicable Large Employers (ALEs).

The ACA e-filers of 2017 are taking a short breather after their scramble to get their 1095-Bs and 1095-Cs to their recipients on time. Instead of having until March 31 like they did last year, the recipient copies were due at the same time as their 1099 and W-2 recipient forms. The lucky ones who used ExpressIRSForms in 2016 were able to quickly fill out their forms and have them mailed on time since all their prior year recipient information had been saved in their accounts. As for the others, well to speak of it now would be too soon...

The paper filers don’t have the luxury for such a break, as their 1095-B and 1095-C forms must be sent to the IRS along with their 1094-B and 1094-C forms by February 28, just over two weeks from now. Reporting the healthcare coverage of all of their recipients by hand sure does take some time, so we won’t disrupt them any longer.

As the e-filers pick themselves up and dust off, a few develop a skip in their step when they realize that by completing their recipient forms with ExpressIRSForms, their forms have already been e-filed and transmitted to the IRS, putting them months ahead of schedule. The rest begrudgingly move forward to make sure their forms are e-filed by March 31, 2017. Some of the paper filers see the skipping e-filers and shed their paper forms like molting swans, joining them in their easier, faster filing bliss.

*Time machine buzzing and whirring sounds*

So the moral of the story: e-file your Affordable Care Act forms with ExpressIRSForms today for a brighter, easier filing season in 2017. If you need help filing or have any questions, just give us a call at 704-839-2270 or send us a live chat Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Or email us anytime at support@expressirsforms.com.

Read More »

Welcome ETF Users!

We’ve spoken a lot lately on the ExpressTaxFilings blog about the ETF to EIRSF crossover happening this filing season. But, how rude of us: we have yet to welcome all of the loyal ExpressTaxFilings users to our new ExpressIRSForms site. Welcome, welcome!

Whether you were prepared for the switch or were surprised by logging into your ETF account to find yourself on another site, we want to assure you that ExpressIRSForms is every bit as committed to helping you quickly and easily e-file your information returns (we are the same team, after all).

With ExpressIRSForms, you still have access to Forms 1099-MISC, INT, DIV, & R, W-2 Forms, and the correction and extension forms available through ExpressTaxFilings. But that’s not all: we’ve also added e-filing for the Affordable Care Act forms 1095-B and 1095-C and (FREE) e-signing for Form W-9.

You also still have access to all of the great features that made ETF so user friendly, like the bulk upload, postal mail, and address book features. And remember part up there about us being the same team? With ExpressIRSForms, we offer the same friendly, expert customer service to help you with your e-filing.

We wish you all the best this year, and we’re glad you’re hanging with us as we go through these changes. As the 2015 tax filing season begins, if you find yourself needing help with any of your information returns, give us a call! We’re here Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. by phone at 704-839-2270 and live chat through our website. You can also get help outside of these hours by sending an email to support@expressirsforms.com.

Read More »

Happy New Year from ExpressIRSForms!

And a happy new year it will be, indeed!

A little birdy dropped the word yesterday that the filing deadlines for the new Affordable Care Act forms have been extended from their original dates.

(That birdy was the IRS, by the way, so it was a pretty reputable source on the matter.)

While this is pretty exciting news for some of you filers out there, don’t forget that the early bird gets the worm. Just because you have more time to file, that doesn’t mean things couldn’t go wrong at the last minute. Be sure to use this time wisely so you’re not scrounging around at the eleventh hour.

So what are the new dates? Recipient forms that initially had to be mailed out by February 1, 2016 now need to be mailed no later than March 31, 2016. If you’re paper filing, you would’ve initially had to have your forms to the IRS by February 29, but that deadline’s now May 31, 2016. E-filers will see their deadline extend from March 31 to June 30, 2016.

Keep in mind that this is only for the ACA forms 1094-B/C and 1095-B/C. This does not apply to 1099s, W-2s, or any other information returns which are still due on their regular deadlines. This deadline extension has also only been authorized for 2015 information returns, so future filings will need to be completed sooner in the year.

And another thing to keep in mind: the ExpressIRSForms offices will be closed New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. If you need help during those times, we will be offering emergency email support. We’ll be back taking calls and live chats on Monday, January 4th at 9 a.m. EST.

See you next year!

Read More »

ACA Forms: The Benefits of E-filing with ExpressIRSForms

We’ll be back to your regularly scheduled blogs after this final ACA-themed one! We’ve gone over the basics of the ACA forms, and delved more into Forms 1095-B and 1095-C. We’ve even talked about what your employees and recipients need to know about the Affordable Care Act information returns.

But even after all of the long talks we’ve had, what real reason do you have to e-file your ACA returns this year and in years to come? Well, this is the blog post where we give you a few reasons to file with us, starting with…

The 250 Rule
If you’re filing more than 250 of either Form 1095-B or 1095-C, the IRS requires you to e-file your forms. Although the IRS will tell you they do recommend e-filing regardless of how many forms you’re filing, because e-filing is a speedier process and leaves less room for error. And since the IRS recommends us too (we were one of the first e-filing services to be IRS-authorized for e-filing ACA forms!), it only seems right that you use ExpressIRSForms to e-file.

No Form 1094
When you paper file Forms 1095-B and 1095-C, you have to include a transmittal Form 1094-B or 1094-C. Think of it as a cover letter that summarizes all of the information in the forms you’re filing. When you e-file, there’s no need for this form since you’re not sending a stack of papers through the mail. Fill out fewer forms: e-file with ExpressIRSForms.

It’s Pretty Easy...
Like our other tax products, it was important to us that our clients have the simplest filing experience ever with ExpressIRSForms. Our program will walk you through your forms step by step, providing helpful hints and guidelines along the way. We’ll also perform an error check before you transmit your forms to make sure everything gets filed correctly the first time around.

...And It’s Free!
That’s right! It’s absolutely free to e-file the optional 2014 ACA information returns with ExpressIRSForms. It’s always free to create an account with us, and since these ACA forms are brand new, we thought our users might like a free trial with them. Just create your account, choose the form you’d like to fill out, and see how easy it is to e-file with us at no cost to you. Your recipient information will also be saved securely in your account with our cloud-based software, so in a month or so when you do your 2015 ACA returns, you can complete your e-filing in just a matter of clicks!

Lastly, The Service
At ExpressIRSForms, our customer service is second to none. We’re available by phone all year (not just during tax season!), Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST at (704) 839-2270. We also offer live chat through our website during these hours and email support at support@expressirsforms.com 24/7. Our US-based headquarters in Rock Hill, SC offers complimentary support in English and Spanish. Whatever your e-filing need, we’re here to help!

Read More »

Happy Thanksgiving from ExpressIRSForms!

Let all of us at ExpressIRSForms be the first to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving! We’d also like to extend our gratitude for each and every one of our customers this holiday season. Without your support for ExpressTaxFilings, we never could have grown into the team we are today. And with even more more forms added to our same quick and easy e-filing service, we know you’ll love filing this tax season with ExpressIRSForms!

(Okay, maybe “love” is a strong word, but “Your tax filing season will be the most bearable one yet” just sounds dull.)

Our office will be open during regular business hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m today, November 25 with phone (704-839-2270), live chat, and email support. We will be closed tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, and on Friday, November 27th. Email support will be back up and running on Friday and throughout the weekend at support@expressirsforms.com.

Thank you again for choosing ExpressIRSForms. We appreciate your business and wish you the happiest of Thanksgivings.

Read More »