ACA Reporting Update: New Procedures for Requesting Family Member SSNs

In Notice 2015-68, issued September 17, 2015, the IRS has modified the steps that must be followed by insurance carriers and self-insured employers to demonstrate a “reasonable effort” to obtain Social Security Numbers or other Tax Identification Numbers (collectively, TIN) for family members enrolled in Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC), and has requested public comment on further adjustments to the requirements. Pending future guidance, following the new procedures will entitle the reporting party to “reasonable cause” relief from penalties for late or incomplete tax returns and employee statements.

Internal Revenue Code § 6055 requires that, among other information, TINs for individuals who are enrolled in MEC be reported by MEC providers. Insurance carriers (issuers) report to insureds via IRS Form 1095-B and self-insured employers report to full-time employees on Section III of IRS Form 1095-C. (Forms 1095-B and 1095-C are transmitted to the IRS under Forms 1094-B and 1094-C, respectively. The IRS issued final 2015 versions of these forms, and instructions for same, also on September 17, 2015.) If the reporting party follows the “reasonable effort” steps to obtain a family member SSN/TIN without success, it may report a date of birth for that individual on the applicable form without penalty.

The new steps required to be followed in order to demonstrate that a reasonable effort has been made to obtain an enrolled family member’s SSN/TIN are as follows:

1. The initial request is made at the time the individual first enrolls or, if the person is already enrolled on September 17, 2015, the next open enrollment period;
2. The second request is made at “a reasonable time thereafter” and
3. The third request is made by December 31 of the year following the initial request.

This sequence replaces the sequence described in the preamble to final regulations under Code § 6055: initial request made when an account is opened or a relationship established, first annual request made by December 31 of the same year (or, if the initial request was made in December, by January 31 of the following year), and second annual request made by December 31 of the following year. The Notice states that that this sequence, which was lifted directly from regulations under Code § 6724, the “reasonable cause” relief statute, prompted concerns among reporting parties that it was not practical in the context of MEC reporting.

Until further guidance, it remains the case that reporting a date of birth in one year does not eliminate the need to make the necessary follow-up requests as described in the Notice.