DOR: Nearly All Mass. Taxpayers Have Insurance

The vast majority of tax filers in Massachusetts had health insurance and reported that information on tax forms for 2008, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue reported.

2008 marked the second year that state residents with access to affordable health insurance were required to obtain it. Based on the DOR report, 96.4 percent of adults filing health care information with tax returns had coverage at some point during 2008 and 98.3 percent of filers complied with the tax filing requirements.

The DOR also established draft penalty guidelines for those not complying with the mandate in 2010. The penalties will not exceed one-half of the monthly cost of the least expensive health insurance plan available through the Health Connector. There will be a 63-day grace period.

The maximum penalty for an individual 27 years old or older with an income more than 300 percent of the federal poverty level ($32,496 or greater) will be $93 a month, which amounts to $1,116 for an entire year of non-compliance.