Online AIR Systems

User Interface (UI) ACA Assurance Testing System (AATS)
Log in to upload your test forms or scenarios.


User Interface (UI) Production System
Log in to upload your 1094 and 1095 forms.


Automated Enrollment (AE) for ACA Providers
Upload your certificates when transmitting through the Application to Application (A2A) channel. See Publication 5308, Automated Enrollment for ACA Providers the Externals Guide PDF for all activities.

 

AIR System Operational Status

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Overview

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), insurance companies, self-insured companies, and large businesses and businesses that provide health insurance to their employees must submit information returns to the IRS reporting on individual’s health insurance coverage. You are required to file electronically if submitting 250 or more information returns.

The following can use the AIR System to electronically file ACA information returns to the IRS:

  • Software developers
  • Employers
  • Insurance Issuers or Carriers
  • Government Agencies
  • Third parties who would submit returns either for their own company and/or for other companies

The ACA information returns include:

  • Form 1094-B, Transmittal of Health Coverage Information Returns
  • Form 1095-B, Health Coverage
  • Form 1094-C, Transmittal of Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage Information Returns
  • Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage

New filers need to apply for the Affordable Care Act Application for Transmitter Control Code (TCC).

Apply Now

10/21/2020:

AATS WSDLs: Beginning 11/2/2020, use AATS WSDLs package named “FS21-TY20 AATS WSDL Package Nov 2020.”

Production WSDLs: Continue to use Production WSDL package named “FS20-TY19 Production WSDL package Jan 2020.”

Beginning January 2021 for Production WSDLs: Use the package named “FS21-TY20 Production WSDL Package Jan 2021.”


10/4/2019:

AIR No longer supports SHA-1 from the accepted Signature and Digest methods used to digitally sign ISS-A2A transmissions. The ISS-A2A Gateway accepts SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 algorithms during the validation of WS-Security.


5/21/2019:

Beginning September 30, 2019, the encryption level for the ISS-A2A and AATS – A2A Channels will be TLS 1.2, exclusively. Transmitters must ensure their encryption is set to TLS 1.2 to submit SOAP transmissions to AIR via the A2A Channel.

XML Schemas, and other information for software developers and transmitters, who are interested in developing software for the AIR Program, is provided by Tax Year:

In Processing Years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 AIR will accept Forms 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C and 1095-C returns only.

Schemas for AIR by Tax Year

Tax Year

Form Type
2020 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C
2019 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C
2018 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C
2017 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C
2016 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C
2015 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C

2020

  • AIR TCCs for Transmitters and Issuers that are in Production status will remain in Production status. No additional testing is needed for Tax Year 2020.
  • Software Developers need to update their ACA Application for TCC each year to obtain a new software identification number for the new tax year
  • Software Developers who passed testing for any tax year ending after December 31, 2014 do not need to test for the current tax year. Software IDs are scheduled to move to Production one week from the date the software IDs are assigned.
    • When the 2020 software packages are added, Responsible Officials will need to re-sign the ACA Application for TCC.
    • AIR Transmissions (both live and test) will reject If the ACA Application for TCC is not signed and in Completed status.
  • Allow 48 hours before transmitting to Production after passing any required testing.

2019

To generate tax year 2019 returns in AATS starting November 2, 2020, use:

  • Manifest file from tax year 2020 schema package
  • Form data file from tax year 2019 schema package
  • PaymentYr value “2019”
  • PriorYearDataInd value “1”
  • Software Id for 2019 (2019 software Ids start with 19XXXXXXXX)

2019

To generate tax year 2019 returns in Production until December 2020, use:

  • Manifest file from tax year 2019 schema package
  • Form data file from tax year 2019 schema package
  • PaymentYr value “2019”
  • PriorYearDataInd value “0”
  • Software Id for 2019 (2019 software Ids start with 19XXXXXXXX)

2019

To generate tax year 2019 returns in AATS and Production starting January 2021, use:

  • Manifest file from tax year 2020 schema package
  • Form data file from tax year 2019 schema package
  • PaymentYr value “2019”
  • PriorYearDataInd value “1”
  • Software Id for 2019 (2019 software Ids start with 19XXXXXXXX)

2018

To generate tax year 2018 returns in AATS starting November 2, 2020 and Production starting January 2021, use:

  • Manifest file from tax year 2020 schema package
  • Form data file from tax year 2018 schema package
  • PaymentYr value “2018”
  • PriorYearDataInd value “1”
  • Software Id for 2018 (2018 software Ids start with 18XXXXXXXX)

2017

To generate tax year 2017 returns in AATS starting November 2, 2020 and Production starting January 2021, use:

  • Manifest file from tax year 2020 schema package
  • Form data file from tax year 2017 schema package
  • PaymentYr value “2017”
  • PriorYearDataInd value “1”
  • Software Id for 2017 (2017 software Ids start with 17XXXXXXXX)

2016

To generate tax year 2016 returns in AATS starting November 2, 2020  and Production starting January 2021, use:

  • Manifest file from tax year 2020 schema package
  • Form data file from tax year 2016 schema package
  • PaymentYr value “2016”
  • PriorYearDataInd value “1”
  • Software Id for 2016 (2016 software Ids start with 16XXXXXXXX)

2015

To generate tax year 2015 returns in AATS starting November 2, 2020 and Production starting January 2021, use:

  • Manifest file from tax year 2020 schema package
  • Form data file from tax year 2015 schema package
  • PaymentYr value “2015”
  • PriorYearDataInd value “1”
  • Software Id for 2015 (2015 software Ids start with 15XXXXXXXX)

Contact and News Information

Contact Us
You can submit questions to the AIR Mailbox regarding electronic filing of Forms 1094-B, 1094-C, 1095-B and 1095-C. Include the Receipt ID, ACA TCC, and Year of the ACA forms if known.

Subscribe to QuickAlerts
Keep up to date on the events that affect Authorized IRS e-file Providers and Issuers/Payers, Transmitters and Software Developers that will electronically file Affordable Care Act Information Returns.