Three kinds of shop, three different answers
If you rent a chair, you usually run your own business inside someone else's shop. The shop's plan, if it has one, does not cover you, and you may get no tax form from the shop at all, since you pay the shop and not the other way around. If the shop pays you a commission, ask the owner whether you are treated as an employee or as a contractor. If you are on payroll, ask what plan the shop offers and when you could join.
A spouse with a job and a plan is one more place to look. Put that plan next to a plan of your own, and weigh the doctors, the dates and what you would owe when you go to the doctor.
The empty chair
A dead Tuesday, a sick day, a week with the flu: no cuts, no pay. Holiday and event weeks can fill the book, and then the shop goes quiet. The plan payment arrives on the same day every month regardless.
So the question to ask is practical. If an urgent care visit landed in your slowest week, what would you owe? Our short guide on the deductible and the out-of-pocket maximum (linked below) explains the terms. You can apply for a private plan at any time of year, so a quiet week is a fine time to ask. The start date depends on the carrier and the plan.
Tips, cash and a thin paper trail
Some of your pay comes in cash, some on a card, some as tips. That is normal in a shop, and it can make your income hard to put on paper. Your advisor will go over what an application asks for before you start. Tips are part of what you earn, so ask a tax professional how to keep a simple record.
Hands, wrists, shoulders and feet
Clippers, scissors and blow dryers run for hours, and your hands, wrists, shoulders, back and feet carry the load. Dyes, relaxers and other products add chemicals to the day.
Before you pick a plan, ask whether specialists and physical therapy are in the network, and where the nearest urgent care is.
What a PPO is, and what to know about private plans
PPO stands for preferred provider organization: the plan keeps a list of doctors and hospitals it likes you to use, and using them usually costs less. Care outside the list is paid under the plan's own rules. The plans we offer are private plans, not ACA Marketplace plans, and they have exclusions and limitations. An advisor explains the details.
For a barber or stylist under 65 with no plan from the shop, a private plan is one option to compare. Plans may not cover every benefit, so sit down with your advisor and go through the terms line by line before you apply, and ask what happens in a week with few clients. If the plan is not a fit, we will say so.
Taxes: a general note
Some people who work for themselves can claim a federal deduction for health insurance. The IRS calls it the self-employed health insurance deduction, figured on Form 7206 and reported on Schedule 1 of Form 1040. Chair rent, tools and supplies are separate business costs with their own rules. This is general information, not tax advice, so talk with a tax professional about your situation.