Is This Goddamn Pay Taxes On Your Health Care Benefits Bullshit Gonna Happen?

[Dinger]

Fucking godammn baucus and the rest can kiss my ass, just sayin'.

[CoffeeCat]

1. I'll Google this...

...because this is news to me.

I've been busy with the kids this summer. I guess I need to catch up on the news.

Are they talking about taxing benefits that you rec'v through a job????

[Eric J in MN]

4. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) wants to tax health care benefits, but...

...most other Congressional Democrats seem to be opposed to that.

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)is opposed, and points out that union workers sacrificed salary increases for health care benefits, and taxing health care benefits would hurt them.

[CoffeeCat]

5. That's so disgusting!!

In effect, they'd be cutting our salaries.

Are these people on crack?

In the middle of a recession/Depression they want to cut into our disposable income?

How many jobs is a person supposed to work--just to keep themselves afloat...4? 5?

[Eric J in MN]

2. Different choice: won't happen this year.

Whether it will ever happen, who knows?

[xchrom]

3. i had to vote yes -- they made this thing as convoluted, loaded up as they possibly could --

they cluster fucked that bill -- now they are whinning that obama isn't helping them.

how long have some of these people served?

please --

[FrenchieCat]

6. No, it won't happen.....

period.

[Dinger]

7. Well, Good Then (nt)

[LittleBlue]

11. It had better not

And your child is adorable, Frenchie. :)

[FrenchieCat]

18. Thanks!

:hi:

[gmoney]

8. McCain's plan had this, and Obama said it was a bad idea...

Hope we don't end up with it.

Heard they're also looking to do away with companies writing new individual policies. If you want to start a new business on your own, you better find a group plan of some sort.

[dflprincess]

10. Obama used to think mandates were a bad idea too.

He also used to say he supported a single payer system (back when he was a lowly state senator). I wouldn't count on him to remain firm about not taxing benefits.

[jberryhill]

9. delete

self delete

[MrSlayer]

12. If they did decide to tax it, how would it work?

I pay nearly 20% of my income for my top of the line health insurance. It's not paid by my employer, it's paid by me. Would I have to be taxed more? I'm confused on this issue.

[jberryhill]

13. Are you paying that with pre-tax income or after tax income?

[MrSlayer]

14. It's on the gross.

I'm getting worried here.

[jberryhill]

15. Yeah... you might end up like me...

Paying healthcare expenses with after tax income.

But I'm just some dumb schmuck, right? God forbid you end up that way.

[MrSlayer]

17. Honestly, I'm not even sure I know what the hell I'm talking about.

All I know is I have to work 350 hours per quarter to maintain my health coverage. 19.4568% of my gross goes into the Union's health fund. If you fail to work enough you can still be covered by the Union under certain conditions or you have to pay for COBRA.

[TahitiNut]

20. You wouldn't be affected. It's a matter of treating employer-paid health insurance as income.

The amount the company pays for an individual's health insurance would be reported as income and tax withheld. If the employee then itemizes deductions, that amount would be included in the gross paid for medical expenses and the amount in excess of whatever the current ceiling is would then be deductible. The tax rules could also be changed to lower the ceiling and thereby treat a larger share of medical expenses as deductible.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jclincali]

19. I can guarantee that it will happen. BANK ON IT.

[johnaries]

21. I'll take that bet! Because it won't happen.

There's no support for it on either side.

[Ikonoklast]

22. I'll take that bet.

It is a non-starter, and only thrown out there as a bargaining chip and a scare tactic by that asshat Baucus.

Ain't gonna happen.

[mgcgulfcoast]

24. i agree

maybe not this year, but its coming.

[boppers]

23. The boob-job and facelift loopholes?

It'll probably happen, or not, depending on who wins the spin war.