I’m a young adult, newly independent from my parents, and I have never filed my own federal income tax return before. Can I apply for premium tax credits this year? Will that pose any problems?

Yes, you can apply for premium tax credits this year. One challenge you may encounter is verifying your income. The Marketplace verifies an applicant’s estimated income in real time during the application process, using IRS data from recent federal income tax returns, and sometimes other data sources. However, since you have never filed a tax return, the Marketplace must accept your self-attestation of projected annual income.