Tax Program that will calculate shared responsibility?

[chapeau]

My nephew’s taxes used to be really easy, and I’d do them by hand just for fun. 1040ez, 1 w-2, a pair of boots each year for unreimbursed business expense. Health insurance provided through employer. Fed, state and local done in an hour or so.
In late 2016 he quit his old job, and got a new job in February 2017. No health insurance, since he’s under 30 hours/week. His gross income in 2017 was $12,800. But I’m having trouble with Form 8865, since he couldn’t be bothered to try for insurance through the marketplace. He doesn’t qualify for a marketplace exemption, but I’m not sure if he’ll qualify for the “income too low” exemption. He has about $1,000 too much in income to qualify under the income too low to file exemption, but now I’m stuck. I’d heard good things about Tax Act, so I tried to use the free version to do his taxes today, but it wants me to tell it if he qualifies for that exemption or not. If I knew that, I wouldn’t need the program. Does anyone know if one of the other free products will do the calculations for me (I have the cost of the needed 2017 bronze and silver plans)? If not, any directions for me to do the figuring myself? He probably can’t afford to pay one of the tax prep places, but he can’t afford IRS penalties either...
He lives with my in laws, but he’s 28 and pays their utilities and buys his own food. With their combined SS, tiny pensions, and FIL working part time, there’s no way he’d qualify for Medicaid, even at his income level. I suspect he’s one of the ones who would fall through the health insurance cracks.

[msventoux]

I haven’t used it, but have you tried any of the interactive tools on the IRS website?

www.irs.gov/help/ita/am-i-eligible-for-a-health-insurance-coverage-exemption-or-required-to-make-an-individual-shared-responsibility-payment-under-the-affordable-care-act

[chapeau]

Thank you. I’ll try there.