Form 8962 is the IRS form that settles your Marketplace health plan's premium tax credit for the year. If you bought a plan through HealthCare.gov or a state Marketplace for 2026 coverage and the government paid part of your premium in advance, you attach Form 8962 to the federal return you file in 2027, due April 15, 2027. The form compares the advance premium tax credit (APTC) paid to your insurer during 2026 with the credit you actually qualify for based on your final 2026 income. As of October 28, 2026, the IRS has posted a draft 2026 form but not the 2026 instructions, so this guide uses the 2026 draft form and the 2025 instructions, and marks which is which.
Tax year 2026 is the first year with no cap on repayment. The IRS Questions and Answers on the Premium Tax Credit state: "There is no repayment cap for tax years after 2025." If your income ends up higher than you estimated, you repay the full difference. For the consequences of a low income estimate, see what happens if you underestimate your income for ACA subsidies. To see whether you qualify for the credit at all, read who qualifies for an ACA subsidy and check the federal poverty level chart.
Coverage Breakdown
Direct answer: who must file Form 8962 for 2026 coverage
Yes. File Form 8962 with your 2026 return if advance premium tax credit (APTC) was paid for anyone in your tax family in 2026, or if you want to take the credit on your return. Match your Form 1095-A to the form, repay any excess advance credit in full, and file by April 15, 2027.
The 2025 Instructions for Form 8962 list three triggers for the 2025 return, and the same logic is expected for 2026: you are taking the credit, APTC was paid for you or another person in your tax family, or APTC was paid for someone you told the Marketplace would be in your tax family and nobody included. If none of these apply, because you had no advance payments and are not claiming the credit, you do not file Form 8962. A person claimed as a dependent on someone else's return does not file it; the person who claims the dependent does.
Form 8962 line by line for tax year 2026
Form 8962 for tax year 2026, filed in 2027, follows the same path as the 2025 form: figure your household income as a share of the poverty line, find your expected contribution, then compare the credit you earned with the advance payments. Gather your completed Form 1040 and every Form 1095-A first, because Part II copies figures straight from the 1095-A. The table below lists each line, what goes in it, and where the number comes from. Line 4 uses the 2025 poverty guidelines for a 2026 return ($15,650 for one person and $32,150 for four in the 48 states and DC), because the credit for a tax year is measured against the guidelines published the year before.
Comparison: what changes between a 2025 return and a 2026 return
Readers who filed Form 8962 last spring will notice three differences on the tax year 2026 return filed in 2027. The poverty line moves up one year, the expected-contribution percentages are higher because the enhanced credits expired December 31, 2025, and the repayment limit is gone. Walk-throughs written for the 2025 form, including its Table 2 and Table 5, do not apply to a 2026 return, so check the date on any guide before copying numbers from it.
Worked example for tax year 2026 (hypothetical numbers)
A single adult with no dependents and a 2026 modified AGI of $50,000 enters 1 on line 1 and $50,000 on lines 2a and 3. Line 4 is $15,650, the 2025 poverty line for one person in the 48 states and DC. Line 5 is about 319% ($50,000 divided by $15,650), under the 400% line of $62,600 for a 2026 return, so the person continues to line 7. Suppose Form 1095-A shows advance payments of $6,000 for the year and the monthly math on lines 12 to 23 produces a total credit of $4,200 on line 24. Line 27 is $1,800 ($6,000 minus $4,200), and the full $1,800 is repaid on the 2026 return. On a 2025 return the same single filer at 319% would have been limited to $1,625.
A second single adult with a 2026 modified AGI of $70,000 is at about 447% of the 2025 poverty line ($70,000 divided by $15,650), above the $62,600 line for one person. No credit is allowed for 2026 coverage above 400% of poverty, so if the Marketplace paid $6,000 in advance credits during 2026, all $6,000 is excess and is repaid in full. Because the repayment is not capped, a raise, a bonus, or a one-time payment that pushes income past the line can turn a small subsidy into a large bill. Both examples are illustrations, not predictions; your credit depends on your own 1095-A and income.
Common Form 8962 mistakes and how to fix them for the 2026 return
Most delays on Form 8962 trace back to the Form 1095-A or to income that did not match the Marketplace estimate. The IRS cannot answer questions about the information on your 1095-A, so any correction starts with your Marketplace. The 2025 instructions also warn that the second lowest cost silver plan (SLCSP) premium on a 1095-A can be wrong or blank, in which case you work out the correct figure for every month using Pub. 974 or the HealthCare.gov Tax Tool. Watch for these mistakes before you file.
- Using the wrong poverty line: a 2026 return uses the 2025 guidelines ($15,650 for one person), not the $15,960 figure that applies to 2026 Medicaid tests and 2027 Marketplace coverage.
- Counting only taxable Social Security: all Social Security benefits count toward modified AGI for the credit, including the untaxed part.
- Checking "Yes" on line 10 when premiums or the SLCSP changed during the year: use lines 12 to 23 month by month unless you had the same plan, premium, and SLCSP for all 12 months.
- Filing as married filing separately without an exception: you generally cannot take the credit unless you qualify, for example as a victim of domestic abuse or spousal abandonment, and check the box on line A.
- Ignoring a shared policy: after a divorce, or when another taxpayer is on your plan, use Part IV to allocate the 1095-A amounts instead of reporting the whole policy on both returns.
- Skipping months you had other coverage: months with Medicaid, Medicare, or affordable employer coverage generally earn no credit, but advance payments for those months still count on line 25.
If Original Medicare or Medicaid started during 2026
Adults who turned 65 or gained Medicaid during 2026 need extra care on Form 8962. Enrollment in Original Medicare (Medicare Part A or Part B) or in Medicare Advantage counts as minimum essential coverage, and the premium tax credit stops for the months you are enrolled; Medicaid works the same way. If advance payments kept flowing to your Marketplace plan after that coverage began, those payments still show up on line 25 for those months while your credit for the months is zero, so the amount is excess advance credit that you repay in full on a 2026 return. Ending the Marketplace plan and its advance payments promptly, and reporting the change at HealthCare.gov, is the way to avoid that bill. A Medigap policy is not a Marketplace plan and does not carry a premium tax credit.
Update your income before 2027 coverage so next year's Form 8962 stays small
The cheapest fix for a repayment is a better income estimate when you pick a plan. HealthCare.gov opens plan shopping for 2027 coverage on November 1, 2026, and open enrollment runs to January 15, 2027; one federal deadline for a January 1 start is under court review, so confirm the dates on HealthCare.gov. For 2027 coverage, the credit is measured against the 2026 poverty guidelines: $15,960 to $63,840 for one person and $33,000 to $132,000 for four, with an expected contribution of 2.15% to 10.22% of income. The 400% cap stays, and because repayment is not capped from tax year 2026, report raises, new jobs, and lost income to the Marketplace during the year. Excess credit for 2027 coverage is reconciled on the Form 8962 you file in 2028.
Alternatives and help if you owe money or cannot file alone
A repayment is a tax debt, and several options exist before it becomes a hardship. These five cover most situations for adults under 65 who bought a Marketplace plan for 2026.
- Ask the IRS for a payment plan: if you cannot pay the full balance by April 15, 2027, file on time anyway and request an installment agreement at IRS.gov/payments.
- Get free tax help: the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program says it serves people who generally make about $70,244 or less, and each site sets its own rules; find a site at irs.gov/vita.
- Fix a wrong Form 1095-A: contact your Marketplace (HealthCare.gov or your state exchange) for a corrected form before you file, because the IRS cannot change the form's information.
- Take the credit at filing instead of in advance: when you choose a 2027 plan you can decline advance payments and claim the whole credit on Form 8962, which removes the chance of repaying an excess.
- Contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service: if a Form 8962 problem is causing financial hardship or a stalled refund, the independent Taxpayer Advocate Service at taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to file Form 8962 if I received a Form 1095-A for 2026?
Only if advance premium tax credit was paid for someone in your tax family in 2026, or if you want to claim the credit on your return. A 1095-A alone, with no advance payments and no credit claimed, does not require Form 8962. When advance payments were made, you must file the form even if you are not otherwise required to file a return.
Is there a cap on how much excess credit I repay for tax year 2026?
No. The IRS Questions and Answers on the Premium Tax Credit say there is no repayment cap for tax years after 2025. You repay the full excess advance credit at every income. The 2025 limits of $375 to $1,625 for single filers and $750 to $3,250 for others applied only to earlier tax years.
What is the SLCSP on Form 8962 and where do I find it?
SLCSP means second lowest cost silver plan, the benchmark used to set your maximum credit. Your Form 1095-A reports it in Part III, column B. If it is blank or wrong, for example because you had no advance payments or a change you did not report, work out the correct monthly figure with Pub. 974 or the HealthCare.gov Tax Tool.
What if my Form 1095-A is missing or wrong?
The IRS says you should receive it from your Marketplace by early February. If it is late, log in to your Marketplace account to download it. If the figures look wrong, contact the Marketplace directly, because the IRS cannot answer questions about the information on the form or correct it for you.
Which poverty guidelines does the 2026 Form 8962 use?
The 2025 guidelines, because the credit for a tax year uses the guidelines published the year before. For one person in the 48 states and DC that is $15,650, and $32,150 for a family of four. The 2025 return used the 2024 guidelines ($15,060 for one person). Check the 2026 instructions tables once the IRS posts them.
Can I take the credit if I am married and file separately?
Generally no. The 2025 instructions allow two exceptions: certain married people living apart who qualify under the head of household rules, and victims of domestic abuse or spousal abandonment who check the box on line A and meet the other conditions. Otherwise married couples file jointly to take the credit.
What happens if I do not file Form 8962 when I got advance payments?
Your return can be flagged and a refund can be delayed. The IRS also says that if you do not reconcile, you will not be eligible for advance payments of the premium tax credit for the following calendar year. File the form even if you owe nothing extra, and file by April 15, 2027.
What if I turned 65 or got Medicare during 2026?
The credit stops for the months you are enrolled in Original Medicare (Part A or Part B) or Medicare Advantage. Advance payments made for those months still count on line 25 and, because your credit for them is zero, they are repaid in full. End the Marketplace plan when Medicare starts and report the change to avoid that bill.
