How to “reconcile” your premium tax credit on 2017 taxes

One of 4 categories of Health Insurance Marketplace® plans (sometimes called “metal levels”). Silver plans fall about in the middle: You pay moderate monthly premiums and moderate costs when you need care. Important: If you qualify for “cost sharing reductions” (or “extra savings”) you can save a lot of money on deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance when you get care — but only if you pick a Silver plan.

A tax credit you can take in advance to lower your monthly health insurance payment (or “premium”). When you apply for coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace®, you estimate your expected income for the year. If you qualify for a premium tax credit based on your estimate, you can use any amount of the credit in advance to lower your premium.

How you find out if you used the right amount of premium tax credit during the year. To reconcile, you compare two amounts: the premium tax credit you used in advance during the year; and the amount of tax credit you qualify for based on your final income. You’ll use IRS Form 8962 to do this. If you used more premium tax credit than you qualify for, you’ll pay the difference with your federal taxes. If you used less, you’ll get the difference as a credit.