The Marketplace Identifier on Form 1095-A sits on Line 1 of Part I, at the top of the form. It names the state exchange that administered your health plan, and you’ll copy it onto Line 1 of Form 8962 when you reconcile your Premium Tax Credit. Line 2, right below it, holds your Policy Number, which is a different value the Marketplace assigned to your specific coverage. Form 8962 asks for both, so pull each from its own line.
What the Marketplace Identifier Is
The identifier on Line 1 tells the IRS which Marketplace issued your coverage. If you enrolled through HealthCare.gov, that’s the federal exchange; if you used a state-based exchange, the identifier reflects your state’s Marketplace. It travels with the form to Form 8962 so the IRS can match your reconciliation against the enrollment record the Marketplace already reported.
Don’t confuse it with the Policy Number on Line 2. The identifier points to the exchange; the policy number points to your plan. They serve different lookup purposes and go on different lines of Form 8962.
The rest of Part I (Lines 3 through 15) covers your personal information, the start and end dates of coverage, and details about your insurance company. If any of that looks wrong, take it seriously. Errors in Part I can cause mismatches when the IRS cross-references your return against the Marketplace’s records.
How to Get Your 1095-A If You Don’t Have It
Your Marketplace sends Form 1095-A, not the IRS. The deadline for furnishing it is January 31 following the coverage year, so 2025 coverage forms must go out by January 31, 2026.
The fastest way to get the form is online. HealthCare.gov posts an electronic copy in your account starting in mid-January, usually before the paper version arrives by mail. State-based exchanges have their own portals with similar access. Log in with the account you used to enroll and look for a tax documents or tax forms section.
If you can’t find the form online or you’ve lost access to your account, call the Marketplace. HealthCare.gov enrollees can reach the federal Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325). If you enrolled through a state exchange, use that state’s customer service line. A representative can confirm whether the form was mailed, resend it, or help you get to it electronically.
Transferring the Identifier and the Rest of the Form to Form 8962
Form 8962 is where you reconcile the advance Premium Tax Credit paid on your behalf during the year against the credit your final income actually supports. Anyone who received APTC has to file it, even if they wouldn’t otherwise need to file a return.
Copy the Marketplace Identifier from Line 1 of your 1095-A and the Policy Number from Line 2 onto the matching lines of Form 8962. Then work through Part III of the 1095-A, which lists your coverage finances month by month in three columns:
- Column A, Monthly Enrollment Premiums: the full premium for your plan each month, before any credit.
- Column B, Monthly SLCSP Premium: the cost of the second lowest cost Silver plan available to you that month. The IRS uses this as the benchmark for your Premium Tax Credit, whether or not you actually chose a Silver plan.
- Column C, Monthly Advance Payment of Premium Tax Credit: what the government paid your insurer each month to lower your premium.
Those figures go on the monthly lines in Form 8962. The form compares the credit the Marketplace estimated for you (based on the income you projected at enrollment) against what your actual income supports. If your income came in lower than projected, you get an additional refundable credit. If it came in higher, you’ll owe back some or all of the excess APTC.
For 2025 returns, the filing deadline is April 15, 2026.
If Column B Is Blank or Zero
Column B trips people up more than any other field. If it’s blank or looks wrong, don’t guess and don’t leave the corresponding line on Form 8962 empty. The SLCSP premium controls how much credit you’re entitled to. Use the Health coverage tax tool at HealthCare.gov/tax-tool/ to look up the correct SLCSP premium for your area and household size, and enter that figure.
If the Premium Amounts Look Wrong
Before assuming the form is wrong, check a few common explanations. Column A may show only the portion of your premium covering essential health benefits, which can be lower than your full bill if the plan bundled extras like adult dental or vision. If someone on the plan started or ended coverage partway through a month, that month is prorated. And if you had a standalone dental plan with a child under 18 enrolled, Column A may include a share of those dental premiums for pediatric benefits, running higher than you expect.
If those don’t explain the discrepancy, call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 (or your state exchange) and request a corrected 1095-A. Don’t file using numbers you know are wrong. Wait for the corrected form, even if that means filing closer to the deadline or requesting an extension.
If You Already Filed Without Form 8962
The IRS will delay your refund on a return that received APTC but arrived without Form 8962. File an amended return: use your 1095-A to complete Form 8962 and attach it. If you don’t have the 1095-A, request one from the federal Marketplace at 1-800-318-2596 or from your state exchange before amending.