Estimating Tax Credit Available Under New Healthcare Legislation Now Being Considered

Mar 04, 2017 6 Replies

I know that the new healthcare law is still under discussion in the House. However, I?m trying to get an idea of what might happen as far as the Tax Credits available to someone over age 55. As an example: currently, a self employed person has a net income of about $17,000 - $19,000. I am told that the tax is about $1000 income tax plus $2700 on Self Employment tax for a total tax due of $3700 (all very round numbers). Currently, the person is enrolled in the Healthcare.gov exchange and receives a subsidy of about $3000 a year.



I hear that the current legislation being considered would provide a tax credit of $3000 for a person over 55 which would be applied against health insurance premiums. My question is: What would be the most likely scenario on how the tax credit would be applied? (A.) Would be applied to just the income tax ($1000) or (B.) would be applied to the total tax due ($3700)? I Know your answer will just be SWAG estimate but would like to get your opinion on what is the most likely scenario: (A) or (B).


I wonder if they might tie it in to Form 8962. Premium Tax Credit (PTC).

I would have assumed that a percentage of the total amount of the premiums would be subtracted from total income to lower the AGI. It would appear in the Adjusted Gross Income section of the 1040 tax form.

/BAH

Considering that there is nothing even in Committee discussion at this point, I think any thought applied to this is wasted energy.

Ira Smilovitz, EA

What they state on page 67 of

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00015a-70de-d2c6-a7db-78ff707e0000 is a Tax Credit, not a reduction in income to lower the AGI.

That would be a HUGE change to the philosophy of US tax law. Premiums reduce the AGI via Schedule A. To give the people who have a low AGI access to that reduction would have to be in the AGI reduction section, not in the tax credit section. If it did occur in the tax credit section, I would expect that the amount of the premium would be found in the tax tables; the appropriate tax for that amount would then be subtracted as a tax credit. It's simpler to just reduce the AGI.

/BAH

Here are the committee discussions:

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and from the Ways and Means committee

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