Am I Exempt from Penalty?

[MadeinIndia]

I am a new immigrant to the US. I came to the US in December 2013 on a Business Visa and in Feb applied for a change of status. I was approved for and received my Green Card on April 30th, 2014. I checked at Healthcare.gov and it said I don't qualify because my total household income is more. I could only get health insurance through my spouse but their company enrollment starts only in December 2014. So in December I enrolled and I received coverage from Jan 1, 2015. So does the penalty still apply for me or am I exempt?

 

[TN_agent]

I can't post complete URLs yet because of my post count.

healthcare.gov/immigrants/lawfully-present-immigrants/

According to the marketplace, you didn't have to have a green card to get marketplace coverage, you just had to be here legally. Which you were, it sounds like since you had a worker/business visa. It sounds like you were not eligible for any help due to income (and probably because you could have gotten on to your spouse's insurance), but you were still mandated to have coverage, at least from the point that you became a green card holder, not sure about the months prior to that. You should check with the marketplace to be sure.


kff.org/health-reform/faq/health-reform-frequently-asked-questions/#question-are-immigrants-required-to-have-health-insurance-coverage-under-the-affordable-care-acts-individual-mandate

Most likely you will have to pay the penalty for at least part of 2014. Kaiser is pretty reliable when it comes to interpretation of the ACA. I am not an accountant though, so you should check with yours or the marketplace to be sure.

Anybody else know for sure?

 

[ggbh]

I am a new immigrant to the US. I came to the US in December 2013 on a Business Visa and in Feb applied for a change of status. I was approved for and received my Green Card on April 30th, 2014. I checked at Healthcare.gov and it said I don't qualify because my total household income is more. I could only get health insurance through my spouse but their company enrollment starts only in December 2014. So in December I enrolled and I received coverage from Jan 1, 2015. So does the penalty still apply for me or am I exempt?

DO NOT go to an accountant at a kiosk in Walmart for this one. Find an independent, local CPA & pay them the $150.00 to file properly for family, if less. (Already, the 95 penalty looks better...yes?).

To be honest, you will (if just you - in family) lose the most $95/1% on your taxes.

Here is the case:

You made enough money to get health - as you said in your post, unless you wrote it wrongly. You found that out when you applied at Healthcare.gov, because you didn't get a subsidy & wanted to go with your spouse to be cheaper. You 'used' the excuse to 'wait' for company enrollment with spouse & fell back on your immigration issue.

On top of it, the CPA's will ask 1 question: "Did you have health insurance?" It is a box that they check off on a computer program. It will penalize you in the system. (Badda-Bing!).

Good Luck. I'm sorry, but in the end you will pay the 95.00 penalty. In my mind, set yourself up right this year, and just pay the 100.00 penalty. You would spend it on junk anyways & doesn't help relieve aggravation; or cost to file and fight it. End it, and go have fun with your family & friends.

We are immigrants as well, and I can tell you, we spend WAY more than this penalty - very easy, more than normal Americans born here with our gifts, homes, clothes, etc. So, do not get upset on this.

 

[MadeinIndia]

Thanks a lot for your kind replies! I have another query. While I was in the US, I had my Indian insurance albeit valid only in India and also a few months in the US I had a travel health insurance. Can I show that?