ACA reporting and deadlines: Top mistakes and how to avoid them

ACA

ACA reporting and deadlines: Top mistakes and how to avoid them

When it was first introduced, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) offered advantages for employees and employers alike. However, it also created added complications for businesses that continue today and into the future.

HR stakeholders, in particular, must make sure that their organization and its staff are observing requirements for ACA reporting, and are doing so in a way that matches stated deadlines. Despite understanding the importance of ACA, many businesses are still making mistakes with their ACA reporting and other associated HR and benefits processes. These mistakes can be time-consuming and costly – a report from Accounting Today found that between 2017 and 2018, the IRS had issued more than 30,000 notices  to organizations that failed to comply with ACA standards. The penalty assessments included in these notices add up to a staggering $4.4 billion  for noncompliance.

It’s best for HR teams to work proactively to avoid them.

Here, we’ve rounded up some of the top missteps companies make with  Affordable Care Act, as well as best practices for making sure that these issues don’t impact your organization.

Not filing according to ACA requirements

One problem with ACA emerges when stakeholders don’t observe the requirements for report filing, and therefore don’t properly complete these tasks. It’s important that HR leaders determine whether or not their organization is required to file, noted FitSmallBusiness. Companies that align with the following are required to file reports for ACA:

  • Businesses that have 50 or more full-time staff members, or employees that work 30 hours per week or more.
  • Organizations that have parent or subsidiary organizations that, when combined with their staff, create a total of more than 50 full-time employees.
  • Companies that utilize self-insured employer plans.

Incomplete reporting

There are two required elements involved in ACA filing that revolve around Form 1095 C. A common mistake that many companies make is completing the proper filing of this form with the Internal Revenue Service, but failing to send copies of the form to employees. On the other hand, providing form copies for staff members and forgetting to file them with the IRS occasionally takes place as well.

It’s imperative that HR leaders complete both required steps.

Failing to observe deadlines

The ACA includes specific deadlines, and any late reporting or filing can result in penalties for the employer. In this way, HR stakeholders must be aware of all the important deadlines, including due dates for reporting and the beginning and end of open enrollment.

Avoiding ACA mistakes: Prepare accordingly

In order to maintain compliance and guarantee alignment with the requirements of ACA, HR leaders must make sure that their organization is prepared. Partnering with an expert human resources administration solution provider and incorporating systems that can help streamline ACA reporting, tracking, eligibility and overall compliance is one of the best ways to prevent making common mistakes.

To find out more, check out our website and connect with Secova for a demo of our ACA Management solutions today.


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