Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage, is a new IRS tax form created to fulfill the reporting requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Beginning in 2016, the ACA requires the Postal Service™ to provide an annual statement (Form 1095-C) to employees who met ACA full-time eligibility requirements for tax year 2015 and/or who were enrolled in the USPS® employer-sponsored self-insured Health Benefits Plan during tax year 2015. Form 1095-C, Part II, includes information about the coverage, if any, the USPS offered to you and your spouse and dependents. This information is also provided to the IRS.
USPS will mail Forms 1095-C to eligible employees in late January. A page of frequently asked questions (FAQs) including resources for additional information will be enclosed with the Form 1095-C.
The Form 1095-C is an important tax document which you may need when completing your 2015 federal income tax return. When your Form 1095-C arrives in the mail, please keep it with your Form W-2 and other wage and tax information documents.
In addition, ACA requires providers of minimum essential (health) coverage to provide annual statements to covered individuals regarding their health coverage for the reporting tax year. This information is also provided to the IRS. The Postal Service will provide USPS HB coverage information in Part III of the Form 1095-C for those employees (and/or dependents) who were enrolled in the USPS Health Benefits Plan. Other providers of minimum essential (health) coverage will send Forms 1095-B, Health Coverage Information Return, to those persons identified as the individuals responsible for the coverage. For example, postal employees who were enrolled in FEHB will receive Forms 1095-B from his or her FEHB respective health coverage provider. Finally, individuals who were enrolled in coverage through a federal or state Health Insurance Marketplace will receive Forms 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement, from the Health Insurance Marketplace.
It is possible an employee will receive no forms, one form, or several forms depending on the employee’s employment status and insurance enrollment(s). Per IRS guidelines, employees are not required to submit Forms 1095 with their 2015 income tax returns.
For additional information regarding Form 1095-C, reference the expanded Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document available on the Accounting website at http://blue.usps.gov/accounting/ or within the new ‘1095-C’ PostalEASE module at http://liteblue.usps.gov. For more in-depth information, visit the IRS website at https://www.irs.gov/uac/About-Form-1095-C.
If you have questions regarding your Form 1095-C and subsequent completion of your federal income tax return, please consult a qualified tax preparer or tax attorney.
— Payroll,
Controller, 1-7-16
