The 2014 tax filing season is officially open, and, this year, filing will be different for many North Carolinians, especially those who signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In early February, North Carolinians who signed up for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace will receive Form 1095-A in the mail. NC Get Covered is helping local communities across the state navigate the process and provide resources to make filing taxes easy and stress-free. Powered by The Big Tent Coalition, NC Get Covered is a non-partisan initiative committed to improving health outcomes in North Carolina through outreach events and enrollment assistance.

The new requirements will affect more than 300,000 North Carolinians who obtained financial assistance through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace last year and who are required to file 2014 federal income tax returns. Those who were uninsured and did not claim an exemption on the Marketplace may be able to avoid a tax penalty by claiming exemptions on their federal tax returns.

“We encourage all North Carolina consumers to learn about ACA health insurance and tax requirements through www.NCGetCovered.org,” said Lee Dixon, project director for NC Get Covered. “Filing tax returns are so important this year—whether it is related to ACA health insurance subsidies, avoiding or paying a fine, or beginning the enrollment process. We encourage North Carolinians to use the resources available to help guide them through this process.”

NC Get Covered wants consumers to know that there are free, online resources available for North Carolina consumers to learn about new ACA tax requirements, including free tax-filing programs if they are within certain income limits. This free file tax assistance can save North Carolina consumers hundreds of dollars in tax preparation fees.

Consumers can access www.NCGetCovered.org and click on “Free Tax-Filing Assistance” to receive:

• Information about health insurance and tax-filing requirements

• Access to a resource directory of free file tax programs (sponsored by the United Way of North Carolina’s NC 2-1-1-1 service)—both online and in-person—available to North Carolina consumers within certain income limits

“NC 2-1-1 is proud to provide the resource directory of free file tax programs in North Carolina,” said Laura Marx, new president of the United Way of North Carolina. “Filing tax returns is critical both to the Affordable Care Act and for claiming income tax refunds and credits available to many North Carolina families, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit.”

The resource directory of free file tax programs, sponsored by the United Way of North Carolina’s NC 2-1-1 service, provides links to:

• Free file online self-service tax assistance through The Benefit Bank® of North Carolina, which is the only free file tax program for federal and North Carolina returns with household income limits matching the eligibility thresholds for health insurance financial assistance ($65,000 for an individual, $95,000 for a family)

• Other free file online self-service tax programs, as listed on the North Carolina Department of Revenue website, offered for federal and North Carolina tax returns up to certain income limits

• Listing of free file in-person tax programs by North Carolina nonprofit organizations for federal and North Carolina tax returns up to certain income limits

The deadline for most consumers to apply for ACA health insurance coverage and subsidies in North Carolina for this year is February 15. Consumers can visit www.NCGetCovered.org to learn more about the ACA and how to apply for health insurance, including by self-service, over phone or through in-person enrollment assistance at local nonprofit organizations.

Consumers can even text the key words “GET COVERED” to 69866 to receive a listing of the three closest nonprofit organization locations (within a 40 mile radius) that provide in-person health insurance enrollment assistance.

“More consumers than ever will need free file tax assistance because of the new ACA tax requirements,” said Ralph Gildehaus, senior program director at MDC, a Durham-based nonprofit, sponsor of The Benefit Bank of North Carolina and creator of the www.NCGetCovered.org website. “MDC is pleased that The Benefit Bank can provide assistance for North Carolina.”

Please visit www.NCGetCovered.org for ACA health insurance and tax information.