Individual Taxes: TaxVoxWhat is a tax? You would think a senior economist at the Tax Policy Center would have no trouble answering that question. But it is not so simple. This question has come up in the debate over the proposal to require all Americans to have medical insurance—a provision in all of the major congressional health reform bills. If you must buy insurance, is the payment you make a tax or just a premium for insurance coverage? Is the penalty imposed on those who don’t buy insurance a tax or a fine for failing to comply with the law?
September 30, 2009Eric Toder