Mail Bag: Is This Irrationally Angry Obamacare Chain Email Accurate?
The following email came into Double Taxation HQ today from one ofmy firm’s high-ranking auditor types, and it seemed befitting of its own post:
Dear Tony,
You look very handsome today; I just thought you should know. Is the below email I had forwarded to me true, or is this just someone that doesn’t understand what they are reading?
HOME SALES TAX
> Have you seen this?
> When does your home become part of your health care?…….. After 2012!
> Your vote counts big time in 2012, make sure you and all your friends and family know about this!
> HOME SALES TAX
> I thought you might find this interesting, — maybe even SICKENING! The National Association of Realtors is all over this and working to get it repealed, — before it takes effect. But, I am very pleased we aren’t the only ones who know about this ploy to steal billions from unsuspecting homeowners.
How many realtors do you think will vote Democratic in 2012? Did you know that if you sell your house after 2012 you will pay a 3.8% sales tax on it? That’s $3,800 on a $100,000 home, etc. When did this happen? It’s in the health care bill, — and it goes into effect in 2013. Why 2013? Could it be so that it doesn’t come to light until after the 2012 elections? So, this is a change you can believe in?
> Under the new health care bill all real estate transactions will be subject to a 3.8% sales tax. If you sell a $400,000 home, there will be a $15,200 tax. This bill is set to screw the retiring generation, — who often downsize their homes. Does this make your November, 2012 vote more important?
> Oh, you weren’t aware that this was in the Obama Care bill? Guess what; you aren’t alone! There are more than a few members of Congress that weren’t aware of it either.
I hope you forward this to every single person in your address book.
> VOTERS NEED TO KNOW.
Thanks for your help, Tony. Did I mention you look handsome today?
Hugs and Kisses,
Jeff.
[Ed note: we may have taken some creative liberties with the auditor’s email for presentation’s sake, but the thrust of the question and the forwarded chain email remains unchanged.]
To answer your question, Jeff: whoever forwarded the email is perfectly right to be confused by the implications of Obamacare. Whoever crafted this email, on the other hand,is an idiot. Not because they misinterpreted the Patient Protection Act — that’s a simple mistake — but because they got so righteously indignant while all the while being grossly misinformed. Unless of course, the chain email was authored by Mitt Romney, in which case, he’s stupid like a fox.
As we’ve previously discussed, starting in 2013 Obama will indeed tack an additional tax of 3.8% on a taxpayers’ net investment income — which would include gain from the sale of a home — but this is an additional income tax, not a sales tax.
The designation is important, because income tax is only paid on realized and recognized gains that are not otherwise excluded from income, while sales tax — as is indicated in the chain email — is paid on the absolute sales price.
Why does this matter? Because assuming the home being soldisa primary residence and otherwise satisfies the requirements of I.R.C. § 121, a married taxpayer can exclude up to $500,000 of gain from the sale of the residence. Thus, even though a taxpayer may recognize a $499,999 gain from the sale of a home, if it is excluded from taxable income under Section 121, there is no taxable gain upon which to assess the 3.8% additional tax.
The originator of the email above would have you believe that the 3.8% tax would be assessed on the purchase price, and that is simplynot the case. Since no gain is recognized courtesy of Section 121, no capital gains tax — including the 3.8% addition provided for in Obamacare –is assessed on the sale.
Section 121 takes out much of the sting of the 3.8% tax increase, but there are other limitations to the Obamacare surcharge as well. For example, the tax is only assessed on those with adjusted gross income in excess of $250,000. If your AGI is below the threshold, the 3.8% increasewon’t kick in.
Of course, as with all chain emails, there is some truth to be found: if a taxpayer sells a home in 2013 and either 1) the gain exceeds $500,000 or 2) Section 121 doesn’t apply for some other reason, AND the taxpayer has AGI in excess of $250,000, the taxpayer will pay an additional 3.8% tax next year. However, as noted above, that 3.8% tax will be assessed on the net gain, not the sales price.
Hopefully this clears things up. For more information, consult your local library.
