Leave It Blank!

A recent article in Reason Magazine shared that the IRS has announced it will NOT reject "silent tax returns" submitted for 2016 in regard to the Shared Responsibility Payment required for individuals who did not have qualifying coverage or an exemption during the tax year. That means it will not be able to enforce the 'individual mandate' which is a key pillar in Obamacare.

Americans who refused to enroll in Obamacare have been forced to accept only three legal alternatives: stay with an employer plan whether staying with that employer was optimal or desirable; seek private coverage on the individual market facing astronomical, yearly premium & deductible increases and diminishing networks; or go without insurance and either applying for one of the many exemptions or paying cash for necessary care (if any) and paying the mandated penalty on their annual tax returns.

The announcement from the IRS is in response to an executive order from President Trump "instructing agencies to provide relief from the health law."  You can find the text of the executive order Here

And that means Americans now have a 4th Alternative: LEAVE IT BLANK!

If you're filing a standard form 1040 for your 2016 taxes, you'll find the question on line 61. Since the IRS is depending on voluntary disclosure to enforce the penalty until Congress acts to change the requirement, we are urging all individuals to leave it blank whether they had coverage or not and start to throw off the shackles of Obamacare.

For those who were facing hefty penalties they can't afford because they couldn't afford the budget-breaking premiums and deductibles of a crippled national healthcare industry, there is finally relief. Now they are free to pursue whatever health care solution works best for them without being penalized for it.