By accepting a tax credit, low-income or lower-middle class families face significant tax ramifications and potential financial risk. Congress has changed the rules twice on consumers for the credits, making the income cliffs steeper, and fully equipping the IRS to claw back overpaid subsidies (unlike the individual mandate penalty). …

The credits can only be used in a government-sanctioned ObamaCare exchange. In other words, individuals purchasing private insurance on their own must decide if they want to keep their current insurance plan without a subsidy or drop their coverage to take the tax credit. Since so many states rejected the President’s call to renew policies for those facing cancellations, and the recent extension of that policy, millions of Americans are facing this exact decision of joining an exchange or buying elsewhere by March 31st.

All citizens that take the credit must file a tax return to receive the credits regardless of their income. Failure to do so will result in them being prohibited from seeking a credit in the future. Married couples must file a joint return.