IRS to Reject 2017 Returns without Health Care Information Reported

The IRS has said it will not accept electronically filed 2017 tax returns that do not report on the taxpayer's compliance with the individual mandate provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The IRS did not reject such returns for 2016 after President Trump issued an executive order that directed federal agencies to waive, defer, or delay the implementation of ACA provisions that imposed penalties or fees. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduces the amount of the penalty, or Shared Responsibility Payment (SRP), to zero for months beginning after 12/31/18, but for 2017, the IRS says that it won't consider an electronically filed tax return complete and accurate if the taxpayer does not report full-year coverage, claim an exemption, or report an SRP on the return. The IRS's statement can be found at www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/aca-information-center-for-tax-professionals .