Avoid paying back the IRS:
Keep your income up to date
A new federal law requires you to pay back the IRS in full if you earn more in 2026 than you estimated on your Cost Savings application. Starting in 2026, there is no limit on the amount you could owe the IRS for underestimating your income.
The income you estimate for the year helps determine the amount of health insurance tax credit you get to lower your monthly premiums. Make sure your income is up to date in your DC Health Link account to avoid paying the IRS back next year.
| If your estimated 2026 income is… | But you end up making… | You owe the IRS… |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | $50,000 | $2,245 |
| If your estimated 2026 income is… | But you end up making… | The IRS refunds you… |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $35,000 | $2,245 |
Not sure if your income will change throughout the year?
You can also choose to get less than the maximum amount of health insurance tax credit. You can change the amount of tax credit you get anytime.Change your APTC amount in 5 easy steps:
- Login to your DC Health Link account.
- Find your current enrollment on your home screen. Select the ‘Actions’ dropdown menu and select ‘Make changes to my coverage’.
- On the next screen, select ‘Change Tax Credit’ and select ‘Yes’ under the first question on the right side of your screen. You will see the effective date for your change and your maximum tax credit available.
- Use the slider to change the amount of tax credit you’d like to receive (for example, from 100% to 85%), or type in the amount you’d like to receive in the ‘Tax credit value ($)’ text box. Your new monthly premium will recalculate automatically. Don’t forget to update autopay if you use autopay.
- Select UPDATE TAX CREDIT.