In late 2018, the IRS began issuing enforcement letters related to employers’ compliance with the employer shared responsibility rules under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for the 2016 calendar year. These letters, known as Letter 226-J, inform employers of their potential liability for an employer shared responsibility penalty, if any, for 2016.

These letters are only sent to employers subject to the employer shared responsibility rules, known as applicable large employers (ALEs). The determination of whether an ALE may be liable for a penalty, and the amount of the proposed penalty in Letter 226-J, are based on information from Forms 1094-C and 1095-C filed by the ALE and the individual income tax returns filed by the ALE’s employees.

What is Letter 226-J?

The IRS will issue Letter 226-J to an ALE if it determines that, for at least one month in the year, one or more of the ALE’s full-time employees was enrolled in a qualified health plan for which a premium tax credit was allowed (and the ALE did not qualify for an affordability safe harbor or other relief for the employee).

How Should Employers Respond to Letter 226-J?

Letter 226-J is not a bill. It is the initial proposal of the employer shared responsibility penalty that the ALE may owe. ALEs must respond to Letter 226-J—either agreeing with the proposed employer shared responsibility penalty or disagreeing with part or all of the proposed amount—before any employer shared responsibility liability is assessed and notice and demand for payment is made.

Letter 226-J provides instructions for how the ALE should respond in writing, as well as the name and contact information of a specific IRS employee that the ALE should contact if the ALE has questions about the letter.

If the ALE does not respond by the response date on the first page of Letter 226-J, the IRS will send a Notice and Demand (or bill) for the penalty that was proposed and assessed. The penalty will be subject to IRS lien and levy enforcement actions.

For More Information

Contact AUI today for more information or visit the IRS’ Letter 226-J website to learn more.