When entering your household members, add adults before adding children. If you get a message that someone you enter on your application needs to file their own application, they'll need to create their own Marketplace account to file their application.
You’ll be asked questions about you and your household. These questions may ask about your federal income tax returns.
You may be asked the questions and items below. Read the information below each question for more information and/or how to answer.
Do you plan to file a federal income tax return?
If you’ll file a federal income tax return for the year you want coverage, you may be able to get help paying for health coverage through a tax credit. If you don’t file a tax return, you or your household may be eligible for other types of free or low-cost health benefits. Tell us if you plan to file so we know what you’re eligible for.
Most people file a federal income tax return each year, even if they have a limited income. Find out if you need to file a tax return.
If you file taxes, we need to know more about who you claim as dependents on your tax return. If you don’t file taxes or you live with people not on your tax return, we need to know who you live with.
Are you married?
- If you’re separated but not divorced, select “Yes.”
- If you live with your partner, but aren’t legally married, select “No.”
- If you're legally married, select “Yes.”
- If you’re widowed, select “No.”
- If you’re a victim of domestic abuse or spousal abandonment, select “No.” This will let you qualify for premium tax credits and other savings based on your income. Spousal abandonment means you can’t locate your spouse after making a reasonable attempt to find them, also known as desertion.
Do you plan to file a joint federal income tax return with your spouse for 2023?
You may be asked this if you're married.
If you’re married and you and your spouse will file a joint federal income tax return for the year you want health coverage, you'll be eligible for a premium tax credit and other savings if you qualify based on your income and other factors.
If you’re a married couple and you plan to file separate federal income tax returns for the year you want coverage, you won’t be eligible to get premium tax credits or other savings, unless you meet the specific exceptions described below. You can still get help paying for health coverage if you qualify for Medicaid or CHIP. You can enroll in a Marketplace plan together but you won't be eligible for a premium tax credit or other savings, and you may have to complete a separate application.
If you're married and you plan to file your federal income tax return as head of household for the year you want coverage, you can select "Yes" when asked if you're married. You won't be asked if you plan to file a joint tax return, and you'll be eligible for a premium tax credit and other savings if you qualify based on your income and other factors. See IRS rules for filing as head of household.
If you’re married and a victim of domestic abuse or spousal abandonment, you can select “No” when asked if you’re married. See these instructions for more information.
Do you live with your spouse?
You may be asked this if you're married.
You live with your spouse if you spend most nights in the same household. You can still count as living with your spouse if you’re away temporarily, like for school or a short-term job, if you’re expected to return.
Will you (and your spouse, if you’re married) claim dependents on your federal income tax return?
A dependent is someone who gets most of their financial support from someone else. Children, other household members, or other people who live with the tax filer can be dependents.
Most tax filers claim their own children as their dependents if the children are 19 or younger, full-time students younger than 25, or are disabled. Tax filers also might claim other people as dependents when they pay for most of their costs, like housing, food, and clothing.
For more information on dependents, visit the IRS website or IRS publication 501. A person’s child, stepchild, foster child, or sibling (if younger) is likely to be their dependent if they live with this person, don’t provide more than half of their own support for the year, and is younger than 19 or a full-time student younger than 25.
Will you (and your spouse, if you’re married) claim different dependents on your tax return?
If you and/or your household want health coverage, tell us about any expected differences between who you claim as dependents now, and why you’ll claim different dependents on the tax return.
Sometimes dependents change from one year to another if:
- Parents alternate claiming children as dependents.
- A child turns 19 or 25 and won’t be claimed.
- A dependent moved out of the home recently and won’t live with the tax filer.
- A dependent has a new job and will support themselves.
You don’t need to tell us here about a child that you expect to be born, or a dependent that may pass away.
If you’re not sure about changes, you can select “No,” and report the change when it happens.
Will you be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s federal income tax return?
A dependent is someone who gets most of their financial support from someone else. Children, other household members, or other people who live with the tax filer can be dependents.
For example, you might be claimed as a dependent if you live with someone who pays for most of your costs, like housing, food and clothing. Even if you don’t live with the person who pays these costs, they may be able to claim you as a dependent if they’re related to you and your income is less than a certain amount.
The rules for who qualifies as a person’s tax dependent are in IRS Publication 501.
To find out more about dependents, visit the IRS website.
Who’s the tax filer who will claim you on their income tax return?
This will be asked if you selected “Yes” to the item above.
If a couple is married and plans to file a joint federal income tax return, you can select 2 tax filers.
A tax filer is someone who files a federal income tax return to report their own income (and their spouse’s income if filing a joint return), and enters their name(s) at the top of the tax return form.
How are you related to the tax filer?
Relationships between people can affect how we count household size, which makes a difference for how much help you and your household can get paying for health coverage.
If the dependent is this person’s legally adopted child, choose “son/daughter” from the relationship choices, even if another relationship also applies.
Who's a dependent? When you file a tax return, your child, stepchild, foster child, or sibling (if younger) is likely to be your dependent if they live with you, doesn’t provide more than half of their own support for the year, and is younger than 19 or a full-time student younger than 25.
What should I select?
- Domestic partner: Select this if these 2 household members are domestic partners. Domestic partners aren’t considered married for purposes of federal law.
- Son/daughter: Select this for biological sons and daughters, as well as legally adopted sons and daughters. For a legally adopted son or daughter, select this relationship option even if another option is also true, like grandparent or cousin.
- Brother/sister: Select this for brothers, sisters, half-brothers, or half-sisters.
Get more information about household relationships.
Do you want to provide the claiming tax filer’s information, so the tax filer can apply for a tax credit?
The claiming tax filer (or tax filer) is the main person filing a household’s federal income tax return. If a spouse files a joint return with this person, they are a tax filer, too. Anyone claimed as a dependent on this person’s federal income tax return is a “tax dependent.”
Select “Yes” if you can get the tax filer’s information, for example, if they live with you. This will give the tax dependent the best chance of getting help paying for coverage.
If it’s hard to get the tax filer’s information, for example, if the tax filer won’t share it, you can select “No” and continue. Later, the tax filer can submit their own Marketplace application to get help paying for health coverage for their household.
If a tax dependent and the household members that the tax dependent lives with have a low income, then they may be eligible for health coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
If you select “No,” this dependent won’t get a tax credit, but they might still be eligible for other help paying for health coverage, including Medicaid and CHIP. The dependent won’t get a tax credit because we need details about the claiming tax filer’s income and other dependents to determine eligibility for tax credits. If the claiming tax filer’s information isn’t included here, the tax filer can submit their own Marketplace application to get help paying for health coverage for their whole household, including this dependent.
You can continue with this application now to see if you can get a tax credit to pay for health insurance for your dependent instead
If you see this statement, you can continue with your Marketplace application now to see if you can get a tax credit to help pay for this child’s health insurance instead of Medicaid or CHIP.
If the child is enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, you can’t get a tax credit to help pay for the child’s health coverage.
Do you want to enter your Social Security Number (SSN)?
If you’re a claiming tax filer (the person who claims another person as a dependent on your tax return), you didn’t enter your SSN on your application, and some of your household members may be eligible for a premium tax credit, you may be asked if you want to enter your SSN. You can choose not to enter your SSN.
Why are we asking this? SSNs are used to verify your identity and obtain data to help with your eligibility determination.
Get more information about entering your Social Security Number (SSN).
Do you want to change your answers about how you (or other people on your application) will file your taxes?
If you don’t expect to file taxes or be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return and you may be eligible for a premium tax credit, you may be asked if you want to change your answers on how you’ll file your taxes. If you want to go back and change your previous answer, select “Yes.” If you select “No,” you won’t be eligible for lower costs.
Why are we asking this? You’re being asked this question because you indicated you won’t be filing a federal income tax return or be claimed as a dependent on another person’s tax return. To qualify for a premium tax credit, you must file a federal income tax return or be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.
Enter your city, ZIP code, and county, if applicable
If you’re living outside the state, you didn’t enter a city, ZIP code, and/or county, and you may be eligible for a premium tax credit or enrollment in a Marketplace health plan, you may be asked to enter your city, ZIP code, and county.
Why are we asking this? You previously indicated that you’re temporarily living outside the state. Tell us where you'll live when you return to your home so we can figure out what programs are available to you. If you don’t enter this information, you won’t be able to get coverage in this state.