Comments on: What is an Excise Tax?

By: Is the Excise Tax Good Policy? : Organon

Is the Excise Tax Good Policy? : Organon — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:53:20 +0000

[...] political strategy. But the House’s number one complaint about the Senate bill has been the excise tax on high-cost health insurance plans, largely because of labor unions’ opposition to the [...]

By: Jim Hufford

Jim Hufford — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:54:59 +0000

It seems like the income tax would be an excise, but the Supreme Court long ago decided it was a direct tax, which is why we needed the 16th Amendment–so the income tax could be progressive, rather than in proportion to the census.

I think we do agree the individual mandate is constitutional. My point was that it one could argue it was a direct tax, and then the distinction between direct & indirect/excise would be relevant.

By: Len

Len — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:58:31 +0000

Is an income tax an excise tax? Seems like it is, because income is an event, “I got paid!”

I thought we agreed the mandate is Constitutional?