Look, we've all been there. It's easy to think ACA reporting season is ages away when you're dealing with everything else on your plate. But here's the thing: 2026 will be here before you know it, and scrambling at the last minute is a recipe for disaster. We've seen too many organizations get burned by waiting too long. Do yourself a favor and start auditing your systems now while you still have breathing room.
Let's be honest, safe harbors and measurement periods can be confusing, even when you think you've got them figured out. Whether you're using W-2, rate of pay, or federal poverty line safe harbors, now's the time to double-check that you're calculating everything correctly and have your documentation in order.
Same goes for your measurement periods. Make sure your look-back periods and stability periods actually make sense for your organization. And remember, you can't just change these mid-year without creating a compliance mess. Trust us on this one.
We're not trying to scare you, but inaccurate payroll data causes more ACA headaches than just about anything else. Every single data point matters. Employee classifications, hours tracked, offer codes, coverage dates, all of it needs to be spot-on throughout 2025 for your 2026 reporting to work.
Do yourself a huge favor and audit your payroll systems now. Pay special attention to your variable-hour folks, seasonal workers, and anyone who's changed status. If your payroll, HRIS, and benefits systems aren't talking to each other properly, that is a critical fix. Disconnected systems are basically guaranteed to create reporting nightmares.
Okay, this is the crucial stuff. Put these in your calendar right now, we're not kidding:
January 31, 2026
March 2, 2026
March 31, 2026
April 30, 2026
Here's something really important: you need to decide whether you're automatically sending 1095s to everyone (March 2, 2026 deadline) OR posting a notice by January 31, 2026 telling employees they can request them. This is due to the changes from the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act that was signed at the end of 2024.
Here's the deal: you can't fake your way through ACA compliance, and you definitely can't handle it with a last-minute panic. Between federal requirements and state-specific rules, there's just too much to juggle.
The IRS is getting better at catching mistakes, and penalties keep going up. So do your future self a favor. Start your compliance review now, clean up your data, understand your safe harbors, and give yourself some cushion. Let's make 2026 the year you're ahead of the game instead of playing catch-up.
By the way, if you're tired of managing all this manually, check out ACA Reporter. We've helped hundreds of companies navigate these exact deadlines and the entire ACA compliance process without the headaches. Reach out – we're here to help.