ACA compliance · Northwest Florida

ACA reporting services for Northwest Florida employers.

ACA reporting services for Northwest Florida employers. Forms 1094-C and 1095-C preparation, IRS e-filing, ALE compliance, and ERISA wrap document coordination.

What this covers

What ACA reporting requires from Northwest Florida Applicable Large Employers.

The Affordable Care Act employer mandate applies to Applicable Large Employers — organizations with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees. ALEs must offer minimum essential coverage at minimum value to full-time employees and their dependents, and must file Forms 1094-C and 1095-C with the IRS annually. Failure to comply triggers potential penalties under IRC Section 4980H: $2,900 to $4,350 per full-time employee, per year, for 2026, depending on the violation type.

Northwest Florida employers from Pensacola east to Panama City Beach operate across Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay counties — a regional market where carrier availability, premium levels, and compliance requirements differ meaningfully from South Florida or Central Florida brokerages.

The reporting calendar runs calendar-year: 1095-C forms distributed to employees by January 31, 1094-C and 1095-C filed electronically with the IRS by March 31. Late or incorrect filings trigger penalty notices that typically arrive 12 to 18 months after the filing deadline — by which point the corrective window is narrow.

How we handle it

How we handle ACA reporting for Northwest Florida employers.

We prepare and file Forms 1094-C and 1095-C for Applicable Large Employers, or coordinate with payroll providers when they handle ACA reporting in-house (ADP, Paychex, Gusto, Paylocity all offer the service for an additional fee). If your payroll provider handles the forms, we review the output for accuracy before the IRS deadline — a second set of eyes that catches measurement period errors and offer-of-coverage coding issues before they become penalty notices.

Beyond the annual forms, we coordinate COBRA administration (we select the TPA, set up the payroll integration, and handle escalations), prepare ERISA wrap documents for all group health coverage, and coordinate Form 5500 filing for plans with 100 or more participants with a specialist filer.

A Northwest Florida broker of record understands the Gulf Coast regional carrier landscape, Panhandle-specific employer demographics, and the claim trends that affect level-funded feasibility for groups in this corridor.

Common questions

ACA Reporting Broker questions from Northwest Florida employers.

Who has to file ACA forms 1094-C and 1095-C?
Applicable Large Employers — organizations with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees in the prior calendar year. FTE calculation includes full-time employees (30+ hours per week) plus the FTE equivalent of part-time hours. Seasonal worker rules apply. We calculate your ALE status as part of the annual compliance review.
What are the ACA penalties for Northwest Florida employers who do not comply?
Two penalty tiers under IRC Section 4980H: 4980H(a) applies if the employer fails to offer coverage to at least 95% of full-time employees and at least one employee receives a subsidy — penalty is approximately $2,900 per full-time employee (minus 30) for 2026. 4980H(b) applies if coverage offered is not affordable or minimum value — penalty is approximately $4,350 per full-time employee who receives a subsidy. Penalties are calendar-year and multiply quickly.
Can my payroll company handle ACA reporting instead?
Yes, most major payroll platforms (ADP, Paychex, Gusto, Paylocity) offer ACA reporting as an add-on service. We coordinate with your payroll provider if they are handling the forms. What we add is a review of the output before filing — measurement period errors, incorrect offer-of-coverage codes, and affordability calculation mistakes are common and not always caught by payroll platform automations.
What is an ERISA wrap document and does a Northwest Florida employer need one?
Yes. Any employer offering group health coverage is required under ERISA to provide employees with a Summary Plan Description. For most employer groups, the carrier-issued SBC and certificate of coverage do not satisfy the SPD requirement on their own. An ERISA wrap document combines the carrier documents with the required ERISA plan document language into a single compliant SPD. We prepare and maintain the wrap for all group health plans we place.

Schedule a consultation.

One 45-minute working session. We review your current program, identify gaps, and give you a written recommendation — no proposal, no pressure.

Schedule a consultation Call (850) 972-8773

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