This page applies if you had no health coverage for all or most of 2016.

If you weren’t enrolled in qualifying health coverage for all or part of 2016, you must either claim a health coverage exemption or pay a fee with your federal income tax return.

See if you qualify for an exemption

• Exemptions are available based on a number of situations, including certain hardships, some life events, health coverage or financial status, and membership in some groups.
• Learn more about health coverage exemptions.
• See if any 2016 exemptions work for you. Use our exemptions tool to find out which exemptions you qualify for and how to apply for them.

Pay the fee if you don’t qualify for an exemption

• If you chose not to buy health insurance in 2016 and don’t qualify for a health coverage exemption, you may have to pay a penalty with your federal tax return.
• The penalty is based on your income and how many months you didn’t have coverage. Generally, the higher your income and the more months you didn’t have health insurance, the higher the fee.
• Learn more about the penalty for not having coverage in 2016.

Health care tax resources

Calculate your penalty

• Use the IRS Individual Shared Responsibility Payment Estimator to estimate your fee.
• Learn how to calculate and make your payment.

If you had no coverage for only part of 2016

See what to do if:

• You were enrolled in a Marketplace plan with premium tax credits for part of the year
• You were enrolled in a Marketplace plan without tax credits for part of the year
• You had job-based coverage for part of the year
• You had other coverage for part of the year