How do premium tax credits reconcile on Form 8962 using 1095-A data?

1. How the pieces fit together — marketplace data into tax form

Form 1095‑A is the source document that lists, for each month, the second‑lowest‑cost Silver plan premium (SLCSP), the monthly total premium, and the APTC paid that month; you transfer those monthly amounts into the corresponding columns and months on Form 8962 (lines 12–23) to calculate the PTC and reconcile APTC ^{[1] [2] [6]}. The IRS instructions and Form 8962 itself require using the 1095‑A the Marketplace sent you — if the Marketplace issues a CORRECTED 1095‑A, you must use the corrected version to figure the PTC and reconcile APTC ^{[3] [6]}.

2. Month‑by‑month math — what you enter and why it matters

On Form 8962 you enter three monthly figures (SLCSP, monthly premium for the benchmark plan, and APTC) copied from 1095‑A into the specified columns for each month you or family members had Marketplace coverage; those month rows feed into calculations that produce your allowed PTC and the excess or shortfall versus APTC (lines 12–23 then totals) ^{[2] [6]}. HealthCare.gov frames this as a reconciliation: the amount of credit you received in advance (APTC) versus the PTC you actually qualify for based on your final income and household size — any difference adjusts your refund or balance due ^{[4] [5]}.

3. Multiple 1095‑A forms, overlapping coverage, and blended numbers

If your family received more than one 1095‑A (for example, different family members on different Marketplace policies or coverage changes during the year), the instructions tell you to allocate and combine policy amounts for each month and enter the combined totals on lines 12–23 ^[2]. Guidance from marketplaces and tax guides warns that if enrollees live in different states their SLCSPs can differ and you may need to add SLCSPs or use the Marketplace tax tool to determine the correct benchmark amounts ^{[7] [8]}.

4. Corrected or missing forms — official fixups and risks

The IRS stresses not to use VOID forms or prior incorrect 1095‑A versions; instead, use any 1095‑A with the CORRECTED box checked if provided ^{[3] [6]}. Marketplace pages and state partners advise you to verify the 1095‑A information (names, months covered, premiums, SLCSP, and APTC) and contact the Marketplace to correct errors because mistakes change your Form 8962 results and could produce unexpected tax bills ^{[9] [10]}.

5. Special situations flagged in the guidance

The instructions and outreach materials note particular cases: if you didn’t receive APTC you stop and do not complete the rest of 8962; married taxpayers filing separately are generally ineligible for PTC unless an exception applies; and there’s an alternative calculation for people who married during the year ^{[2] [6]}. Tax software firms and tax guides emphasize the month‑by‑month approach and that the reconciliation uses your final household income and family size to compute the eligible credit ^{[11] [12]}.

6. What the sources do not cover or leave to other resources

Available sources do not mention line‑by‑line numerical worked examples beyond the forms and instructions excerpts; they also do not provide state‑specific SLCSP lookup steps beyond directing users to marketplace tools (not found in current reporting). For detailed computations, the IRS instructions, Publication 974 and marketplace tax tools are the official next steps referenced in the materials ^{[6] [3]}.

7. Practical takeaways and next actions

Gather every 1095‑A you or household members received, verify accuracy, and use the CORRECTED form if issued; enter monthly SLCSP, premium, and APTC amounts from 1095‑A into lines 12–23 of Form 8962 and follow the form’s computations to determine your allowed PTC and any repayment or additional credit ^{[3] [2] [1]}. If you find errors or have overlapping policies, contact your Marketplace and consult the IRS Form 8962 instructions and marketplace tax tools before filing ^{[9] [7]}.