On December 22, 2017 the IRS announced an extended deadline to provide employees their Form 1095-C to March 2, 2018.  Employers were preparing to meet the previous deadline of January 31, 2018. 

This announcement should come to great relief as plan administrators and employers head back to work after the holidays. 

Employees May Have to Wait to File 2017 Tax Returns

The extended relief also applied to insurance carriers & self-funded plans as the Form 1095-B was also granted an extension to March 2, 2018.  

Employees do not need to wait for the form 1095-C to file their 2017 tax returns.  The IRS doesn't ask for this form.  Rather employees will use Form 1095-B that they will receive from their Health Insurance carrier to file their taxes.   This form is used by individuals to show proof that they complied with the individual mandate and had creditable health insurance coverage throughout the year.