Your courteous, efficient, thrifty and dependable IRS will soon become the “enforcer” of ObakaKare health plans. From USA Today:
The IRS processed more than 230 million tax returns last year, paid 127 million refunds and received about 68 million phone calls. The agency is responsible for enforcing a tax code that, at 71,000 pages, makes Anna Karenina look like a comic book.Starting in 2014, the agency will have another task: making sure all Americans have health insurance. Under the law, Americans who can afford health insurance but refuse to buy it will face a fine of up to $695 or 2.5% of their income, whichever is higher. More than 4 million Americans could be subject to penalties of up to $1,000 by 2016 if they fail to obtain health insurance, the Congressional Budget Office said last week.
The IRS will be the enforcer — sort of.
HEALTH CARE LAW: Some trapped in pricey state plansWhile the IRS can impose liens or levies, seize property or seek jail time against people who don’t pay taxes, it’s barred from taking such actions against taxpayers who ignore the insurance mandate. In the arsenal instead: the ability to withhold refunds from taxpayers who decline to pay the penalty, IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said this month.
They’ll take your money and then, after that, they’ll take your money. Again.
BZ
The IRS as Gestapo.
Well, we are screwed unless we find a way to overturn ObamaKare.
Ahhh, being told to bend over and take it by the perverted Unkie Sam. And this is legal how? I wonder how the libbers will feel when they start to go to a glorified mass VA system? My Professor even discussed how crappy this healthcare thing is. He explained it from an anesthesiologists point of view. It will kill the economy. Plus, to fine people for not buying a public product. Bad ju ju BZ. Das HOPENCHANGE is here!
AOW: overturn ObakaKare? Why, for heavens sake, would you ever WANT to??
Chris: you know, sounds to me like you have a bad attitude. Perhaps a little time well spent in Gulag Obaka?
BZ
You know, there are days I can’t take in more bad news.
This seems to be one of them.
This isn’t the same thing…and it is. In higher ed, it’s SOP to withhold end-of-semester grades – or even diplomas – for students who have outstanding fines (library fees, lab fees, instrument rental, etc.).
It’s not glorious, but it’s not new, either.
Animal: perhaps not new but endemic and additionally confiscatory, as in, mandated, as in, you can’t stop us.
BZ
Yep, they’re going to get their pound of flesh/$$… What is interesting, is I have TRICARE at no cost, so ‘theoretically’ I have insurance… Can’t wait to see how THAT Is gonna play out…
One thing you can bet on is that they will get your money one way or another. The IRS has a long arm—I know!!! Little doubt the IRS will be the new Gestapo as Always on Watch said. All I can say is “bringen sie mir bitte ein Glas Bier” before they take me away.
BZ,
I seem to remember O’Reilly grilling Rep. Anthony Wiener, NY, about the IRS enforcing the health care bill. Wiener denied it and O’Reilly pressed him harder and still he denied it. Are you kidding? He lied to us. That shatters my high opinion of politicians.
NFO: here’s a question for you: my Dad had Tricare before he passed away, but my understanding is that its efficacy was recently gutted and greater limits placed on its usage. Is that correct?
LOT: good point. I too, have seen my high hopes of politicians recently shattered within the past, say, 50 years or so. . .
BZ