IRS Notice 2010-38 (Tax Treatment of Health Care Benefits Provided With Respect to Children Under Age 27) Examples
In these examples, any reference to a “dependent” means a dependent as defined in Code §152, determined without regard to §152(b)(1), (b)(2) or (d)(1)(B). Also, in these examples, it is assumed that none of the individuals are disabled.
Example (1) (i) Employer X provides health care coverage for its employees and their spouses and dependents and for any employee's child (as defined in § 152(f)(1)) who has not attained age 26. For the 2010 taxable year, Employer X provides coverage to Employee A and to A's son, C. C will attain age 26 on November 15, 2010. During the 2010 taxable year, C is not a full-time student. C has never worked for Employer X. C is not a dependent of A because prior to the close of the 2010 taxable year C had attained age 19 (and was also not a student who had not attained age 24).
(ii) C is a child of A within the meaning of § 152(f)(1). Accordingly, and because C will not attain age 27 during the 2010 taxable year, the health care coverage and reimbursements provided to him under the terms of Employer X's plan are excludible from A's gross income under §§ 106 and 105(b) for the period on and after March 30, 2010 through November 15, 2010 (when C attains age 26 and loses coverage under the terms of the plan).
Example (2) (i) Employer Y provides health care coverage for its employees and their spouses and dependents and for any employee's child (as defined in § 152(f)(1)) who has not attained age 27 as of the end of the taxable year. For the 2010 taxable year, Employer Y provides health care coverage to Employee E and to E's son, G. G will not attain age 27 until after the end of the 2010 taxable year. During the 2010 taxable year, G earns $50,000 per year, and does not live with E. G has never worked for Employer Y. G is not eligible for health care coverage from his own employer. G is not a dependent of E because G does not live with E and E does not provide more than one half of his support.
(ii) G is a child of E within the meaning of § 152(f)(1). Accordingly, and because G will not attain age 27 during the 2010 taxable year, the health care coverage and reimbursements for G under Employer Y's plan are excludible from E's gross income under §§ 106 and 105(b) for the period on and after March 30, 2010 through the end of the 2010 taxable year.
Example (3) (i) Same facts as Example (2), except that G's employer offers health care coverage, but G has decided not to participate in his employer's plan.
(ii) G is a child of E within the meaning of § 152(f)(1). Accordingly, and because G will not attain age 27 during the 2010 taxable year, the health care coverage and reimbursements for G under Employer Y's plan are excludible from E's gross income under §§ 106 and 105(b) for the period on and after March 30, 2010 through the end of the 2010 taxable year.
Example (4) (i) Same facts as Example (3), except that G is married to H, and neither G nor H is a dependent of E. G and H have decided not to participate in the health care coverage offered by G's employer, and Employer Y provides health care coverage to G and H.
(ii) G is a child of E within the meaning of § 152(f)(1). Accordingly, and because G will not attain age 27 during the 2010 taxable year, the health care coverage and reimbursements for G under Employer Y's plan are excludible from E's gross income under §§ 106 and 105(b) for the period on and after March 30, 2010 through the end of the 2010 taxable year. The fair market value of the coverage for H is includible in E's gross income for the 2010 taxable year.
Example (5) (i) Employer Z provides health care coverage for its employees and their spouses and dependents. Effective May 1, 2010, Employer Z amends the health plan to provide coverage for any employee's child (as defined in § 152(f)(1)) who has not attained age 26. Employer Z provides coverage to Employee F and to F's son, K, for the 2010 taxable year. K will attain age 22 in 2010. During the 2010 taxable year, F provides more than one half of K's support. K lives with F and graduates from college on May 15, 2010 and thereafter is not a student. K has never worked for Employer Z. Prior to K's graduation from college, K is a dependent of F. Following graduation from college, K is no longer a dependent of F.
(ii) For the 2010 taxable year, the health care coverage and reimbursements provided to K under the terms of Employer Z's plan are excludible from F's gross income under §§ 106 and 105(b). For the period through May 15, 2010, the reimbursements and coverage are excludible because K was a dependent of F. For the period on and after March 30, 2010, the coverage is excludible because K is a child of F within the meaning of § 152(f)(1) and because K will not attain age 27 during the 2010 taxable year. (Thus, for the period from March 30 through May 15, 2010, there are two bases for the exclusion.)
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