|
tazzygirl -> RE: AMA & AARP endorse House health care bills (11/7/2009 10:04:22 AM)
|
quote:
Tax on individuals without acceptable health care coverage.
....
The additional tax does not apply if the maintenance of acceptable coverage would result in a hardship to an individual or if the person's income is below the threshold for filing a federal income tax return.
quote:
You must file a return if your gross income is more than the threshold for your filing status. You also must file a return if certain other situations (see "Other Situations," below) apply. Even if your gross income is below the filing requirement, you must file a return to receive any refund to which you are entitled.
Gross income is all income subject to tax, unreduced by any losses you've incurred. Gross income includes earned income (such as wages, salaries and self-employment income), and unearned income (such as interest, dividends and capital gains).
No One Claims You as a Dependent
If someone else can't claim you as a dependent, you must file a tax return if any of the following apply.
Your filing status is Single and you're either of the following:
younger than 65 with gross income of $8,950 or more
65 or older with gross income of $10,300 or more
Your filing status is Married Filing Jointly and you are any of the following:
you are both younger than 65 with a combined gross income of $17,900 or more
only 1 spouse is 65 or older and together you have a combined gross income of $18,950 or more
you are both 65 or older with a combined gross income of $20,000 or more
Your filing status is Married Filing Separately and you are any age with gross income of $3,500 or more.
Your filing status is Head of Household and you are either of the following:
younger than 65 with gross income of $11,500 or more
65 or older with gross income of $12,850 or more
Your filing status is Qualifying Widow(er) with dependent children and you are either of the following:
younger than 65 with gross income of $14,400 or more
65 or older with gross income of $15,450 or more
http://www.hrblock.com/taxes/tax_tips/tax_planning/doyoufile.html?ttiptitle=Filing%20Requirements
quote:
In 2008, in the United States of America, the poverty threshold for a single person under 65 was US$11,201; the threshold for a family group of four, including two children, was US$21,834.[6]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_threshold
quote:
Poverty in the United States is cyclical in nature with roughly 13 to 17% living below the federal poverty line at any given point in time, and roughly 40% falling below the poverty line at some point within a 10 year time span.[2]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States
Now, taking these numbers into consideration... exactly how many people will be affected? Your article made it sound like all americans would be subject to these penalties and fines. Yet the letter itself indicates that the penalties are not for all. Your Ways and Means committee release stated the following...
quote:
The JCT letter makes clear that Americans who do not maintain “acceptable health insurance coverage” and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.
In response to the JCT letter, Camp said: “This is the ultimate example of the Democrats’ command-and-control style of governing – buy what we tell you or go to jail. It is outrageous and it should be stopped immediately.”
Key excerpts from the JCT letter appear below:
“H.R. 3962 provides that an individual (or a husband and wife in the case of a joint return) who does not, at any time during the taxable year, maintain acceptable health insurance coverage for himself or herself and each of his or her qualifying children is subject to an additional tax.” [page 1]
The above quotes show this isnt true. Another scare tactic by not laying out the complete truth.
quote:
When confronted with this same issue during its consideration of a similar individual mandate tax, the Senate Finance Committee worked on a bipartisan basis to include language in its bill that shielded Americans from civil and criminal penalties. The Pelosi bill, however, contains no similar language protecting American citizens from civil and criminal tax penalties that could include a $250,000 fine and five years in jail.
“The Senate Finance Committee had the good sense to eliminate the extreme penalty of incarceration. Speaker Pelosi’s decision to leave in the jail time provision is a threat to every family who cannot afford the $15,000 premium her plan creates. Fortunately, Republicans have an alternative that will lower health insurance costs without raising taxes or cutting Medicare,” said Camp.
Again, not true.
http://republicans.waysandmeans.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=153583
|
|
|
|
