Do I pay a penalty for not having health insurance?
There is no federal tax penalty for going without health insurance starting with the 2019 tax year, because the ACA's individual shared-responsibility payment was reduced to $0 by federal law, per HealthCare.gov and IRS (2026), though a handful of states impose their own penalty.
More on this topic: affordable care act
What the government has said, on the record
Here's how a federal official described it, on the record:
“Enacted in December 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) reduced the shared responsibility payment to zero for tax year 2019 and all subsequent years.”
— Internal Revenue Service, Internal Revenue Service (U.S. Department of the Treasury), IRS.gov, Questions and Answers on the Individual Shared Responsibility Provision (source)
Editor's note: Under current federal law the individual shared responsibility payment — the ACA penalty for not having coverage — is $0. Some states have their own coverage requirements, so check your state.
Who said this
Internal Revenue Service · Internal Revenue Service (U.S. Department of the Treasury)
Also asked as
- Is there still an ACA penalty?
- Individual mandate penalty 2026
Sources
Last verified: 2026-07-19