Template Letter to Solicit SSNs for ACA Tax Reporting Now Available
The initial data reports for Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax reporting were released this past Friday, September 25, 2015, through the Message Center on the Employee Benefits website. One missing piece of data for both cooperatives and NRECA may be dependent Social Security numbers.
The upcoming annual enrollment season, October 29 – November 25, 2015, is a good time to collect missing information. Encourage employees to update demographic information such as dependent SSNs. NRECA has developed a template letter, which is now available online, to help you request missing SSNs.
Remember, the IRS requires employers to make three attempts to obtain individual SSNs. These attempts are:
- An initial solicitation at the time the employer establishes the relationship with an individual;
- A first annual solicitation by December 31 of the year in which the relationship was established (if the relationship began in December, the solicitation deadline is extended to January 31 of the following year); and
- A second annual solicitation by December 31 of the following year
You may be in the process of filing your co-op’s taxes before these solicitations are completed. You don’t have to have the solicitations completed, but you do have to show they’re in process if asked by the IRS.
Updating NRECA records
Updating NRECA’s records with your co-op’s missing data isn’t required. It can be helpful, however, for NRECA to have this information in the event it’s needed. It also can serve as a backup to your co-op records. You will be able to update participant information through the Employee Benefits website during annual enrollment. We will provide instructions on how to do this closer to annual enrollment.
If you have questions, contact the Member Contact Center at 866.673.2299 or contactcenter@nreca.coop.