Proving once again that liberals and liberal media in particular have no clue about small business, a White House aide (mis)led a stampede of critics against Matt Drudge. Independent web journalist Drudge tweeted, “Just paid the Obamacare penalty for not ‘getting covered’… I’M CALLING IT A LIBERTY TAX.”
Of course, Obamacare tax fines and other tax implications are already hitting Drudge’s website and other small businesses, but that didn’t stop the critics.
Just paid the Obamacare penalty for not 'getting covered'… I'M CALLING IT A LIBERTY TAX!
— MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) March 21, 2014
What followed was a hurricane of liberal ignorance:
Jesse Lee, the Director of Progressive Media at Barack Obama’s White House:
Flat lie, no fee for previous year. Scary how much influence he once had. RT @DRUDGE: Just paid Obamacare penalty for not 'getting covered'
— Jesse Lee (@jesseclee44) March 21, 2014
Lee’s response to Drudge set off a firestorm in the liberal media, with many mainstream media and left-wing reporters countering him on Twitter and in their own articles to claim he does not have to pay Obamacare’s Individual Mandate tax until next year. The individual mandate went into effect Jan. 1 of this year, and most people paying their taxes right now are paying taxes for 2013.
Dude, there's no penalty until next yr RT @DRUDGE Just paid the Obamacare penalty for not 'getting covered'… I'M CALLING IT A LIBERTY TAX!
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) March 21, 2014
penalty isn't collected until 2015… RT @DRUDGE: Just paid the Obamacare penalty for not 'getting covered'… I'M CALLING IT A LIBERTY TAX!
— Sam Baker (@sam_baker) March 21, 2014
Drudge indicated in his followup tweets that since he is self-employed as the proprietor of The Drudge Report, he files as a small business. According to the IRS’s website for self-employed individuals, they are required to pay taxes quarterly.“As a self-employed individual, generally you are required to file an annual return and pay estimated tax quarterly,” the IRS website reads.
So, when they file and pay those 2014 first quarter taxes, such individuals have to pay the Obamacare Individual Mandate tax if they opted to not have health insurance—like Drudge just did.
Drudge even indicated as much in followup tweets, but the left-wing reporters—and the White House—have left their criticisms of him intact.
“Dazed team Obama media reporters think Opt-Out tax ‘year away’?” Drudge tweeted. “Not for small businesses that file Qtr estimates. We’re there NOW, baby #pay.”
Source: Breitbart
Photo: Timothy J. Carroll on Flickr
Is the liberty tax deductible?