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Estimate Your 2027 ACA Premium Subsidy
Use 2027 ACA subsidy percentages, 2026 poverty guidelines and your local benchmark premium to estimate a monthly Marketplace tax credit.

To estimate a 2027 Affordable Care Act Marketplace subsidy, you need four numbers: projected 2027 household income, tax-family size, the applicable poverty guideline and the 2027 benchmark Silver premium for the people seeking coverage.
Under current law as of September 23, 2026, premium tax credit eligibility generally ends above 400% of the federal poverty line. The temporary expansion that removed this ceiling applied from 2021 through 2025, according to the IRS premium tax credit FAQs. The IRS has published the applicable percentages used for 2027 calculations.
Enter your household, income and benchmark premium; the estimator shows your 2027 monthly bill next to what the enhanced schedule would have charged.
What Will My Marketplace Premium Be In 2027?
Enter your household and income. The estimate applies the IRS applicable-percentage table with the enhanced subsidies gone, and compares it with what the same household paid under the 2021-2025 enhanced schedule.
How The Share Of Income You Pay Changes
| Household income | Enhanced schedule (2021-2025) | 2027 schedule (Rev. Proc. 2026-26) |
|---|---|---|
| 100% to 133% of FPL | 0% | 2.15% |
| 133% to 150% of FPL | 0% | 3.23% to 4.30% |
| 150% to 200% of FPL | 0% to 2% | 4.30% to 6.78% |
| 200% to 250% of FPL | 2% to 4% | 6.78% to 8.66% |
| 250% to 300% of FPL | 4% to 6% | 8.66% to 10.22% |
| 300% to 400% of FPL | 6% to 8.5% | 10.22% |
| Above 400% of FPL | 8.5% | No subsidy (the cliff) |
Sources And Assumptions
Applicable percentages: IRS Revenue Procedure 2026-26 (taxable years beginning in 2027). Enhanced schedule and the 400% limit: 26 U.S.C. 36B, sections (b)(3)(A)(iii) and (c)(1)(E), added by American Rescue Plan Act section 9661 and extended through 2025 by Inflation Reduction Act section 12001; the credit otherwise requires income from 100% to 400% of FPL. Federal poverty level: HHS 2026 guidelines ($15,960 for one person, plus $5,680 per additional person, 48 contiguous states); under 26 CFR 1.36B-1(h) the guidelines published before open enrollment apply, so these set 2027 credits. Benchmark premium: KFF average benchmark premiums. 2027 rate filings: KFF, How much and why ACA Marketplace premiums are going up in 2027.
The estimate uses the second-lowest-cost silver plan as the benchmark and ignores tobacco surcharges, cost-sharing reductions and state-specific supplemental subsidies.
Quick estimator formula
Use this sequence:
- FPL percentage = projected 2027 household MAGI ÷ applicable poverty guideline × 100.
- Expected annual contribution = household MAGI × applicable percentage from the 2027 table below.
- Estimated annual premium tax credit = annual benchmark Silver premium − expected annual contribution.
- Estimated monthly credit = annual credit ÷ 12.
- Estimated premium for your chosen plan = chosen plan’s monthly premium − monthly credit.
Treat a negative credit result as zero. The actual credit also cannot exceed the eligible premium for the plan in which you enroll, so a lower-priced plan will not produce cash back.
The “benchmark” is the second-lowest-cost Silver plan available to the covered household in its local rating area—not necessarily the plan you choose. The Congressional Research Service describes the basic calculation as benchmark premium minus required contribution and explains that age, location and family composition can change the benchmark price (CRS).
2027 income limits
For 2027 coverage, use the 2026 poverty guidelines. Federal regulations use the poverty guidelines in effect on the first day of the open-enrollment period preceding the coverage year (26 CFR §1.36B-1). Because 2027 open enrollment begins November 1, 2026, the 2026 figures apply.
| Tax-family size | 100% FPL: general eligibility floor | 400% FPL: eligibility ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $63,840 |
| 2 | $21,640 | $86,560 |
| 3 | $27,320 | $109,280 |
| 4 | $33,000 | $132,000 |
These figures cover the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. For each additional person, add $5,680 to the poverty guideline. Alaska and Hawaii have higher guidelines: the one-person amounts are $19,950 in Alaska and $18,360 in Hawaii. HHS publishes the complete 2026 poverty-guideline tables.
Income below 100% FPL can involve Medicaid, immigration-status rules or limited premium-tax-credit exceptions, so this simple formula is not enough. Income over 400% FPL does not qualify for a federal premium tax credit under the rules in effect for 2027. Enrollment in an unsubsidized Marketplace plan is still possible.
2027 applicable percentage table
The applicable percentage is the share of household income the formula expects an eligible household to contribute toward the benchmark plan. The official figures appear in IRS Revenue Procedure 2026-26.
| Household income as % of FPL | Applicable percentage |
|---|---|
| At least 100% but under 133% | 2.15% |
| At least 133% but under 150% | 3.23%–4.30% |
| At least 150% but under 200% | 4.30%–6.78% |
| At least 200% but under 250% | 6.78%–8.66% |
| At least 250% but under 300% | 8.66%–10.22% |
| At least 300% through 400% | 10.22% |
For a percentage range, interpolate between its two endpoints. A spreadsheet formula is:
lower rate + ((your FPL% − lower FPL%) ÷ band width) × (upper rate − lower rate)
Example: a single adult with $40,000 of income
Assume all of the following:
- Residence in one of the contiguous 48 states or Washington, D.C.
- Tax family of one
- Projected 2027 household MAGI: $40,000
- Local benchmark Silver premium: $700 per month
- Chosen plan premium: $650 per month
- No access to disqualifying employer or government coverage
Step 1: Find the FPL percentage.
$40,000 ÷ $15,960 = about 250.63% FPL.
Step 2: Interpolate within the 250%–300% band.
The applicable percentage is approximately 8.68%.
Step 3: Calculate the expected contribution.
$40,000 × 8.68% = about $3,472 per year, or $289 per month.
Step 4: Estimate the subsidy.
$700 benchmark premium − $289 contribution = about $411 per month.
Step 5: Apply it to the chosen plan.
$650 chosen-plan premium − $411 credit = about $239 per month.
This is an estimate, not an eligibility determination. The Marketplace application supplies the exact benchmark premium, eligible-premium cap and credit. HealthCare.gov says exact plan prices and savings are available after completing an application (HealthCare.gov).
What the premium estimate does not cover
A premium subsidy lowers the monthly insurance bill. It does not, by itself, reduce a plan’s deductible, copayments or out-of-pocket maximum.
Policy-cost example: Suppose the $650 plan above has a $5,000 deductible, a $9,000 in-network out-of-pocket limit and excludes routine adult dental care. The estimated $411 credit could reduce the premium to $239, but it would not pay the $5,000 deductible, change the $9,000 limit or cover the excluded dental service.
Eligible shoppers can receive separate cost-sharing reductions, but only by selecting a Silver plan. Those reductions can lower deductibles, copayments and out-of-pocket limits (HealthCare.gov).
Also check these eligibility limits before relying on the estimate:
- The policy must be purchased through the federal or relevant state Marketplace.
- Catastrophic coverage is not eligible for the premium tax credit.
- Affordable employer coverage that provides minimum value, or eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP or certain other government coverage, can make a person ineligible.
- Married applicants generally must file jointly, subject to limited exceptions.
- Household income uses ACA modified adjusted gross income, not wages alone. It generally starts with adjusted gross income and adds tax-exempt interest, excluded foreign income and nontaxable Social Security benefits. HealthCare.gov explains which household members and income types to include in its income guide.
Advance credits can require full repayment
Advance credits are based on projected income, but the final credit is reconciled on Form 8962 using actual year-end information. For tax years after 2025, there is no cap on repayment of excess advance premium tax credits: the full difference can reduce a refund or increase the balance due (IRS premium tax credit FAQs). Crossing above 400% FPL can eliminate the allowed credit altogether.
Report income, household and coverage changes promptly. If income is unpredictable or close to the $63,840 one-person ceiling—or the corresponding ceiling for a larger family—consider taking only part of the advance credit. The IRS confirms that an eligible enrollee may elect to take all, some or none of the estimated credit in advance (IRS).
For the final number, preview local plans and complete the Marketplace application during open enrollment. In states using HealthCare.gov, 2027 open enrollment starts November 1, the deadline for January 1 coverage is December 15, and enrollment ends January 15 (HealthCare.gov). State-based Marketplace deadlines may differ.