ACA questionaire

[arlo]

My clients come in and throw their tax stuff on my desk and leave. I say "any changes" they say no.
This year It look like I am going to have to have a questionaire for them to fill out concerning ACA.
What are you going to use to collect the information on ACA?

[MAMalody]

I would be interested in any sample questionnaires.

[BOB W]

I'm including in my organizer explaining what they need to bring with their normal data. It includes all 1095 series forms for proof of insurance and required copies of all dependents tax returns. Other than that, I don't think there is any need for a check list. I hope I am not wrong.

I'm giving them a heads-up on extra time needed and what are the posible effects on their tax return. I also spelled out how it works if you don't have health insurance, without going crazy with details.

[RitaB]

How do you do it?

My clients come in and throw their tax stuff on my desk and leave.

I would be interested in how you get them to leave.

[commonstalk]

In the TTB Organizer?

Is it possible the Organizer for 2014 in TTB Library will include the questions we'll need answered?

[TaxGuyBill]

It includes all 1095 series forms for proof of insurance

The problem is that the 1095-B is not required this year. They may have insurance and not get a 1095. Also, some people are on the policy of somebody else (such as a parent) and would not receive a 1095 even if they were all required. We need to know WHO had it and for WHICH months. If somebody on the tax return has insurance from the policy of somebody else that has insurance through the Healthcare Marketplace (with 1095-A), they may qualify for the Premium Tax Credit. We would need to determine what the "shared allocation" numbers are.

If they did NOT have insurance for 3 or more months, we may need additional information to determine if they qualify for one of the penalty exceptions. There are two different penalty exceptions based on 8% of their income. Then we may need to know (1) the lowest cost self-only policy for EACH member of the household (if employed, through their employer, if not through the Healthcare Marketplace) and (2) the lowest cost family policy.

In summary:

(1) Who had QUALIFYING insurance and for which months (hopefully with some 1095s).
(2) Copies of dependent's tax returns.
(3) If anybody had insurance on somebody else's policy through the Healthcare Marketplace, what are the "shared allocation" numbers.
(4) If they did not have insurance for 3 or more months (get EXACT DATES):
(a) Do they qualify for any exemptions (see links below)?
(b) Do they have any exemption certificates through the exchange?
(c) What is lowest cost self-only policies for EACH member, and the lowest cost family policy.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/i8965--dft.pdf#page=3

https://www.healthcare.gov/fees-exemptions/exemptions-from-the-fee/

This is just a preliminary list. Can anybody add to it or make changes to it? I would think the TaxBook will have a good checklist.

[BOB W]

OMG....................It just keeps going on and on. How are we to know all that is needed? I'm waiting for my tax programs to be installed to see what is included on this issue and then what I need to know. I know, I should know everything and not depend on my program.

[RitaB]

I'm wiith you

OMG....................It just keeps going on and on. How are we to know all that is needed? I'm waiting for my tax programs to be installed to see what is included on this issue and then what I need to know. I know, I should know everything and not depend on my program.

I think we're supposed to do like Nancy and let this year pass before we can know what hit us I mean was in it.

[David1980]

I see it kind of the same way I see kiddy tax. I don't try to collect all the information necessary to calculate the tax in my questionnaire. Most of my clients aren't kids after all. I do ask for DOB,... which is perhaps the most important question for that.

ACA I see the same way in that getting all that information in a questionnaire is just going to be nightmare complex. I might ask if they had health insurance for everyone for the full year, and where the insurance is purchased from (employer, exchange, whatever). That seems simple enough. Then if I need to deal with partial years of coverage or some dependents covered or subsidies or shared marketplace policies or any of that stuff get the additional information I need outside of the questionnaire. The questionnaire basically being a starting point - letting me know what I need to ask for or what additional information I'm going to need.

[AZUKHiker]

NSA Tax Organizer Has No ACA Questions

The NSA just released their 2014 Tax Organizer and I couldn't see a single ACA question!!!!

I agree with some of the other responses, the initial question will be did you or did you not have health insurance, ask for all 1095s and then work from there with additional questions depending on their personal circumstances.

[MDEA]

Aca

Remember only people that bought insurance thru the exchange will have a 1095B this year. Out of 1500 clients I know of only one that used the exchange.

[arlo]

Rita, How do I get them to leave?

I charge flat fee for all my tax return. $125.00
If they set and watch me do their return $175.00
If they set and give suggestions $225.00

They leave very guickly

[RitaB]

If only I had known this

I charge flat fee for all my tax return. $125.00
If they set and watch me do their return $175.00
If they set and give suggestions $225.00

They leave very guickly

If they tell me personal stories. $275.00
If they tell me personal stories and cry. $325.00
If they tell me their previous preparer was an IRS agent and really knew the loopholes (RIP, sniff, sniff I loved that guy). $375.00
If I look at the prior year return and the "agent" deducted church donations on Schedule C. $425.00


Thanks, I think I will be able to retire soon.

[ATSMAN]

If they tell me their previous preparer was an IRS agent and really knew the loopholes (RIP, sniff, sniff I loved that guy). $375.00
If I look at the prior year return and the "agent" deducted church donations on Schedule C. $425.00



If they tell me their barber or hair stylist gave them good tax tips to save on taxes, I hand them a blank 1040 and send them on their way! They don't need me and i certainly don't need them.

[Black Bart]

Aca questionairre

Originally posted by Arlo

My clients come in and throw their tax stuff on my desk and leave. I say "any changes" they say no.
This year It look like I am going to have to have a questionaire for them to fill out concerning ACA.
What are you going to use to collect the information on ACA?

I don't know how much use it will be to you since I don't know a **** thing about ACA (Yet! I've promised myself to read up on it this month). I went to a seminar recently and they gave us this handout to grill the victims with (whether or not it's really what you need to know, I haven't a clue):

ACA CLIENT INTERVIEW:

Did you have health insurance (including Medicaid) at any time during the year.

If yes, which months?
If no, did your employer offer health insurance?

If yes, how did you obtain it?
If your employer offered health insurance, how much would it have cost you?

If your employer provided health insurance, how much did it cost you?
Did you get a Form 1095-C?
Did you have any hardships?

If you paid for private insurance, how much did it cost?
Did you get a Form 1095-B?
If you experienced a hardship, please provide details and date/dates of occurrence.

If you purchased health insurance in the Marketplace, please provide your Form 1095-A.

Do any of your family members in the home have income?
If yes, please provide names, amounts, and sources.

Did you pay your health insurance premiums by a salary reduction program?



As for you other guys' queries about how to get the part-year insured people to leave, I've thought of everything from/to:

"I don't know a thing about that stuff. You'll have to go somewhere else." (bad for the image)
"My fees start at $500 and go up." (risky - there's always a chance somebody will say "okay")
"We only do returns if you were (1) fully-insured all year (2) had no insurance at all during the year because of hardship." (would work except for losing several good customers). P.S. I'll bet the EIC refund mills will use #2 100% since the administration's already said they were taking people's word for it without checking.

Actually, I think only 15 or so of my clients will require slogging through the trenches of part-year red tape. The seminar speaker said there were about 400 pages of regulations we might want to look at (he went over a dozen). But I found these nine pages online,

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/5000A

so I'm gonna read 'em, order my software, and try a few dummy cases.

Adios and good luck to all.

BB