Obamacare Enforcement Like Snow Removal, IRS Chief Says

[Purveyor]

By Richard Rubin Apr 2, 2014 1:19 PM ET

Administering the 2010 health-care law is just like municipal snow shoveling -- a top priority that’s non-negotiable, John Koskinen, the commissioner of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, said today.

Koskinen, speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, drew on his experience a decade ago as the deputy mayor of the city government in the nation’s capital. Even as the IRS faces budgetary pressures, he said, according to prepared remarks, the health law will be a priority, just as snow removal is essential for a city.

Starting with the tax returns that will be filed in early 2015, the IRS will be responsible for enforcing the individual mandate to purchase health insurance and ensuring that people claim the correct amount of subsidies for insurance.

Koskinen, 74, became commissioner of the U.S. tax agency last year. He said the health-care law gives the IRS a chance to regain credibility, which suffered last year when the agency revealed that it had given small-government groups extra scrutiny because their names included the words Tea Party.

“If we can have a smooth filing season next year including the appropriate review of the returns of taxpayers” claiming tax credits for health insurance, he said, “the public and the Congress will have to say: That’s some organization with an amazing workforce.”

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-02/obamacare-enforcement-like-snow-removal-irs-chief-says.html

[djean111]

1. Silly question - but is he saying they will be checking to see if the subsidies are in line

with actual income - like catching someone who really low-balled income for a higher subsidy?
And - surely, the subsidies are not to be claimed as income, right?

[nationalize the fed]

2. first the carrot

now the stick

[former9thward]

3. Why is someone 74 years old the head of a major government agency?

There should be mandatory retirement for people in senior positions of the government.

[Raine1967]

4. Wow.

This is quite ageist.

[former9thward]

5. Wow. Name call all you want.

People that old should not be in senior government positions.

[NYC Liberal]

6. Why?

[former9thward]

7. They don't function at the level I think we need in those positions.

I would never vote for someone that age to be President. Just look at silly comments comparing the enforcement of the ACA to "snow removal". He doesn't even know you don't have to pay the penalty if you don't want. Yet he thinks he will be enforcing something. He hasn't even read the law.

[Raine1967]

8. What in this article caused you to draw that conclusion?

And you are not quite correct about the penalty, by the way. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/oct/25/lawrence-odonnell/lawrence-odonnell-says-irs-cannot-pursue-either-ci/

The health care law did not take away the agency’s ability to file a lawsuit against a delinquent taxpayer, though the amount of the penalty is so small that it would not be worth the trouble, said Bryan Camp, Texas Tech University School of Law professor who worked as an IRS lawyer from 1993-2001. The unpaid penalty could conceivably be part of broader legal action against a taxpayer owing a lot more in income taxes, he said, though filing lawsuits is hard enough for the agency because it has to go through the Department of Justice, which has other priorities, he said.

The agency does have one way to collect the individual mandate penalty.

It's through your tax refund.

The IRS will send a notice to taxpayers who are required to pay the penalty but don’t. If the penalty is not paid, the IRS can take it out of a tax refund.

The penaly doesn't have a lot of teeth, and I think by and large people have been mislead by the mandate; That said, saying you don't have to pay the penalty if you don't want is misleading.

People will get dinged by the IRS for this. It's a nearly inconsequential amount and less than 2% of the population will be affected, but people will pay.

I'm bothered that you think this man is unqualified to do his job because you think he is too old. That and you claim that he doesn't know the law are both based on your own bias, it appears.

....

ETA: Do you a specific age where you believe people should be retired from public office?

[former9thward]

9. No one has to pay.

Obamacare has a "hardship" exemption. Anyone can qualify and proof is not required.

https://www.healthcare.gov/exemptions/

No, the IRS will not be suing people. It is very easy to make sure your tax refund is zero thus stopping them from taking it out.

To your last question I think 65 is enough. I would favor that for senior levels of employment.