IRS Announces New Guidance that Will Help Victims Access Affordable Healthcare

March 26, 2014

March 26, 2014 – Today, the IRS and the Treasury Department announced new guidance that exempts domestic violence victims from the requirement that married couples must file their taxes jointly in order to receive the premium tax credit under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This means that domestic violence victims, whether married or unmarried, may file their taxes separately and will still be eligible to receive a tax credit to help pay for their premiums under the ACA.

Also, because of this change, the Department of Health and Human Services has created a special enrollment period for domestic violence victims who previously assumed or were informed that the tax credits were unavailable to them if they were married and not filing a joint tax return. Victims of domestic violence who are married and filing separately can now enroll in health coverage until May 31, 2014.

For more information on how the ACA applies to survivors of domestic violence, see our fact sheet.