Need help with your taxes and help signing up for health care? Now you can do both at the same time, reports NBC News’ Dan Mangan.
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In an effort to help customers sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt Tax Service are partnering with online insurance brokers GoHealth and Getinsured, the site says.
After completing their taxes, preparers direct customers to the brokers if they express an interest in purchasing Obamacare insurance. The consultation is a natural fit, given potential tax penalties under the new law, the companies argue.
The penalty for failing to enroll in a plan by March 31 is $95 or 1 percent of a taxpayer’s annual adjusted gross income.
Tax season may be the best time to purchase the insurance because about 75 percent of taxpayers will likely receive refunds—about an average of $3,000 per family. The refunds could provide them with enough of a payment for their first month’s premium, NBC says.
Jackson Hewitt refers clients eligible to buy Obamacare from a government-run exchange to Getinsured. H&R Block, which has 11,000 offices nationwide, presents interested customers with a tax and health-care review form.
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