26 U.S.C. § 4980H
Shared responsibility for employers regarding health coverage
The aggregate amount of tax determined under paragraph (1) with respect to all employees of an applicable large employer for any month shall not exceed the product of the applicable payment amount and the number of individuals employed by the employer as full-time employees during such month.
The term “applicable payment amount” means, with respect to any month, 1⁄12 of $2,000.
The term “applicable large employer” means, with respect to a calendar year, an employer who employed an average of at least 50 full-time employees on business days during the preceding calendar year.
The term “seasonal worker” means a worker who performs labor or services on a seasonal basis as defined by the Secretary of Labor, including workers covered by section 500.20(s)(1) of title 29, Code of Federal Regulations and retail workers employed exclusively during holiday seasons.
All persons treated as a single employer under subsection (b), (c), (m), or (o) of section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall be treated as 1 employer.
In the case of an employer which was not in existence throughout the preceding calendar year, the determination of whether such employer is an applicable large employer shall be based on the average number of employees that it is reasonably expected such employer will employ on business days in the current calendar year.
Any reference in this subsection to an employer shall include a reference to any predecessor of such employer.
In the case of persons treated as 1 employer under subparagraph (C)(i), only 1 reduction under subclause (I) or (II) 1
Solely for purposes of determining whether an employer is an applicable large employer under this paragraph, an employer shall, in addition to the number of full-time employees for any month otherwise determined, include for such month a number of full-time employees determined by dividing the aggregate number of hours of service of employees who are not full-time employees for the month by 120.
The term “full-time employee” means, with respect to any month, an employee who is employed on average at least 30 hours of service per week.
The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall prescribe such regulations, rules, and guidance as may be necessary to determine the hours of service of an employee, including rules for the application of this paragraph to employees who are not compensated on an hourly basis.
If the amount of any increase under subparagraph (A) is not a multiple of $10, such increase shall be rounded to the next lowest multiple of $10.
Any term used in this section which is also used in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act shall have the same meaning as when used in such Act.
For denial of deduction for the tax imposed by this section, see section 275(a)(6).
Any assessable payment provided by this section shall be paid upon notice and demand by the Secretary, and shall be assessed and collected in the same manner as an assessable penalty under subchapter B of chapter 68.
The Secretary may provide for the payment of any assessable payment provided by this section on an annual, monthly, or other periodic basis as the Secretary may prescribe.
The Secretary shall prescribe rules, regulations, or guidance for the repayment of any assessable payment (including interest) if such payment is based on the allowance or payment of an applicable premium tax credit or cost-sharing reduction with respect to an employee, such allowance or payment is subsequently disallowed, and the assessable payment would not have been required to be made but for such allowance or payment.
The Secretary shall allow an applicable large employer at least 90 days from the date of the first letter which informs the employer of a proposed assessment of the employer shared responsibility payment under this section to respond to the proposed assessment before taking any further action with respect to such proposed assessment.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, referred to in subsecs. (a)(2), (b)(1)(B), and (c)(3)(B), (C), (5)(A)(ii), (6), is Pub. L. 111–148,
2024—Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 118–168 added par. (4).
2018—Subsec. (c)(2)(F). Pub. L. 115–141 substituted “Department of Veterans Affairs” for “Veterans Administration” in heading.
2015—Subsec. (c)(2)(F). Pub. L. 114–41 added subpar. (F).
2011—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 112–10 struck out par. (3). Text read as follows: “No assessable payment shall be imposed under paragraph (1) for any month with respect to any employee to whom the employer provides a free choice voucher under section 10108 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for such month.”
2010—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 111–152, § 1003(d), redesignated subsec. (c) as (b) and struck out former subsec. (b) which related to large employers with enrollment waiting periods exceeding 60 days.
Pub. L. 111–148, § 10106(e), amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) related to large employers with enrollment waiting periods exceeding 30 days.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 111–152, § 1003(d), redesignated subsec. (d) as (c). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (b).
Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 111–152, § 1003(b)(1), substituted “an amount equal to 1⁄12 of $3,000” for “400 percent of the applicable payment amount” in concluding provisions.
Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 111–148, § 10108(i)(1)(A), added par. (3).
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 111–152, § 1003(d), redesignated subsec. (e) as (d). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (c).
Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 111–152, § 1003(b)(2), substituted “$2,000” for “$750”.
Subsec. (d)(2)(D). Pub. L. 111–152, § 1003(a), amended subpar. (D) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “In the case of any employer the substantial annual gross receipts of which are attributable to the construction industry—
“(i) subparagraph (A) shall be applied by substituting ‘who employed an average of at least 5 full-time employees on business days during the preceding calendar year and whose annual payroll expenses exceed $250,000 for such preceding calendar year’ for ‘who employed an average of at least 50 full-time employees on business days during the preceding calendar year’, and
“(ii) subparagraph (B) shall be applied by substituting ‘5’ for ‘50’.”
Pub. L. 111–148, § 10106(f)(2), added subpar. (D).
Subsec. (d)(2)(E). Pub. L. 111–152, § 1003(c), added subpar. (E).
Subsec. (d)(4)(A). Pub. L. 111–148, § 10106(f)(1), inserted “, with respect to any month,” after “means”.
Subsec. (d)(5)(A). Pub. L. 111–152, § 1003(b)(3), substituted “subsection (b) and paragraph (1)” for “subsection (b)(2) and (d)(1)” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 111–152, § 1003(d), redesignated subsec. (e) as (d).
Pub. L. 118–168, § 4(b),
Pub. L. 114–41, title IV, § 4007(a)(2),
Amendment by Pub. L. 112–10 effective as if included in the provisions of, and the amendments made by, the provisions of Pub. L. 111–148 to which it relates, see section 1858(d) of Pub. L. 112–10, set out as a note under section 36B of this title.
Pub. L. 111–148, title X, § 10106(f)(3),
Pub. L. 111–148, title X, § 10108(i)(1)(B),
Pub. L. 111–148, title I, § 1513(d),