They only pay WHAT to not have health insurance?

flopstock · Post by **flopstock** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:40 am

These folks are complaining about not getting huge amounts of money back from the IRS soon enough.

This is nuts!

Obamacare penalty payers ask, 'Where's my refund?' - Feb. 5, 2015

Post by **LarsMac** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 11:38 am

What? they spent their money on Christmas that should have gone to pay rent and such, figuring that their tax refund would show up in time to bail them out?

Brilliant budget planning.

They could have scheduled their tax deductions so that they have more cash each payday, and not rely on that tax refund to bail them out.

Brilliant people.

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 11:57 am

I find it puzzling that they should refer to it as a 'Penalty' for not having Health Insurance. Surely if having Health Insurance is mandatory, then if they choose not to take Private Health Insurance, then by default they must subscibe to their version of a National Health Insurance. That's not a penalty. That's a mandatory insurance policy. It looks like the premium is based on income, just as it is here, and that income has to be calculated from the tax returns. Mind you, if they had calculated their own returns proberly in the first place there wouldn't have been an overpayment & the need for a refund in the first place.

Post by **LarsMac** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 12:56 pm

No, you can opt out of having health insurance. By doing so, you are saying that you take full responsibility for all your medical bills.

Silly as this may seem, there are a number of people doing this. The idea was that only those who are financially secure would opt out though.

These people obviously are not.

As long as they stay healthy, and their kids never get into anything serious, I guess they can do OK. But somehow, that seems to be tempting the fates.

tude dog · Post by **tude dog** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 10:45 am

LarsMac;1473652 wrote: What? they spent their money on Christmas that should have gone to pay rent and such, figuring that their tax refund would show up in time to bail them out?

Brilliant budget planning.

They could have scheduled their tax deductions so that they have more cash each payday, and not rely on that tax refund to bail them out.

Brilliant people.

Not everybody is a financial wizard.

John Doe gets a job, fills out the W4 properly. Over the years receives 'X' amount of dollars refund. Mr Doe opts out of the Obamacare and pays penalty.

Far as I know, all fair and legal. There is no excuse for the IRS not give that citizen his money, promptly as usual.

I smell a skunk.

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 1:03 pm

Of course, where nearly everyone has their taxes taken from their pay at the point of origin with PAYE (Pay As You Earn), most of us don't have to cope with the complexities of Tax Returns. However, I did work on a Self Employed basis for a while when I was working as a Trade Plate Driver, where I had to complete my own Self Assessment Tax Returns. Some years after I finished this period of Self Employment I suddenly received a Tax Rebate - of 50p. Daft as it may sound, I was quite chuffed with that, as it reflected how accurately I had kept my books. You see, by keeping proper records you should accrue sufficient overpayments to be entitled to a refund in the first place.

Post by **LarsMac** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 1:28 pm

tude dog;1473692 wrote: Not everybody is a financial wizard.

John Doe gets a job, fills out the W4 properly. Over the years receives 'X' amount of dollars refund. Mr Doe opts out of the Obamacare and pays penalty.

Far as I know, all fair and legal. There is no excuse for the IRS not give that citizen his money, promptly as usual.

I smell a skunk.

Never said anything about legal, or illegal.

On the other hand, here: https://www.refundschedule.com/2014-irs-e-file-chart/ is an example of when one might expect to receive their refund.

I bet these folks don't do direct deposit, either, so, the probable answer is "Check's in the mail."

tude dog · Post by **tude dog** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 1:57 pm

LarsMac;1473695 wrote: Never said anything about legal, or illegal.

On the other hand, here: https://www.refundschedule.com/2014-irs-e-file-chart/ is an example of when one might expect to receive their refund.

I bet these folks don't do direct deposit, either, so, the probable answer is "Check's in the mail."

I've known people who look forward to their "refund" check for special reasons. Why people use the IRS like a savings bank is a wonder to me. All that is neither here nor there.

My point is there is no reason not to return people their money in a prompt manner.

OH, btw

I do my taxes by paper and delivered by the US Postal service. My only regret is I have to print my own forms as the bastards don't send me the forms anymore.

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:18 pm

tude dog;1473696 wrote: I do my taxes by paper and delivered by the US Postal service. My only regret is I have to print my own forms as the bastards don't send me the forms anymore.
And just think what a cumulative saving that must be natiowide, and how it means that you reap the benefit of that saving by paying much less tax.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 6:57 pm

It shouldn't take financial wizardry to write a number larger than 0 or 1 or 2 in a box on a w-4 form. Advocating for the government to be holding one's money until tax time is ludicrous for anyone.

Stench is alway more apparent when one wallows in it regularly.

Post by **LarsMac** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 9:52 pm

Ahso!;1473707 wrote: It shouldn't take financial wizardry to write a number larger than 0 or 1 or 2 in a box on a w-4 form. Advocating for the government to be holding one's money until tax time is ludicrous for anyone.

Stench is alway more apparent when one wallows in it regularly.

Yeah, they could change their deductible and put that money in a savings account, and make a whole 1 % annually from it.

Of course, these are the brilliant minds that think they shouldn't have to pay social Security from their payroll, but should be allowed to put that money in private investments where they can have control of it.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 2:58 am

It's been a while since I've had to deal with w-4 forms, but for those American taxpayers who are unaware: anyone can claim up to 12 dependents on the form, and the great diabolical secret is that the higher number of dependents one claims the more $ received per pay period and less at the end of the year. That's all the financial wizardry that's involved in w-4 forms.

tude dog · Post by **tude dog** » Mon Feb 09, 2015 11:51 am

FourPart;1473697 wrote: And just think what a cumulative saving that must be natiowide, and how it means that you reap the benefit of that saving by paying much less tax.

NO

I don 't think so.

Nothing is ever saved. Government is like a vacuum cleaner.

Just sucks.