The ObamaCare (Affordable Care Act) employer mandate / employer penalty, originally set to begin in 2014, has been delayed until 2015 / 2016. The ObamaCare “employer mandate” is a requirement that all businesses with over 50 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees provide health insurance coverage for their full-time employees, or pay a per month “Employer Shared Responsibility Payment” on their federal tax return.
Small businesses with 50-99 full-time equivalent employees (FTE) will need to start insuring workers by 2016. Those with a 100 or more will need to start providing health benefits to at least 70% of their FTE by 2015 and 95% by 2016. Health care tax credits have been retroactively available to small businesses with 25 or less full-time equivalent employees since 2010.