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Tangential, but I think we're long overdue to fund employee benefits through taxes instead, which employers pay instead of being on the hook for e.g. paid medic

Tangential, but I think we're long overdue to fund employee benefits through taxes instead, which employers pay instead of being on the hook for e.g. paid medical/maternity/etc. On average employers would pay as much as now (unless they're abusing loopholes, e.g. gig work), there would be fewer loopholes, and small employers would be 'insured' against potentially ruinous hires - I know a handyman that won't hire an assistant, because of the risk of getting someone that would be on medical leave more than work, leaving the handyman on the hook for all his pay. This makes growing small (<10 people) businesses very difficult.

zamadatix 2y ago
I thought businesses that small weren't on the hook for providing medical benefits under the ACA or for providing medical leave pay under the FMLA?
- like_any_other 2y ago
  This was a few years ago in the EU, but I admit I'm not the most knowledgeable on employment law.
  - zamadatix 2y ago
    My bad I read taxes as Texas for some reason. I guess that's what just being on a red eye returning through Texas does to you!
herczegzsolt 2y ago
Taxes may be part of a solution, but don't expect them to solve this problem alone. In most EU states you pay taxes to provide medical care to employees. If an employee gets sick or otherwise unable to work, you are usually required to continue paying those taxes even if the employee does zero workhours. The key part to help small businesses is to mitigate their risk of dispropotional cost. Does not matter if it's a tax or any other payable.
glitchc 2y ago
Is that single-payer healthcare?
PopAlongKid 2y ago
> fund employee benefits through taxes instead This is already true, at least in part. Not only do employers get to fully deduct the cost of almost all employee benefits from their taxable income, but in most cases (e.g. health insurance) they also do not have to pay their share of employer payroll taxes (Soc. Sec and Medicare tax).
timewizard 2y ago
You should know that the Treasury is mostly funded by taxpayers. If we break down total receipts into the Treasury 85% come from individual tax returns, 7% come from business tax returns, and 7% from excise taxes.

zamadatix 2y ago

I thought businesses that small weren't on the hook for providing medical benefits under the ACA or for providing medical leave pay under the FMLA?

like_any_other 2y ago
This was a few years ago in the EU, but I admit I'm not the most knowledgeable on employment law.
- zamadatix 2y ago
  My bad I read taxes as Texas for some reason. I guess that's what just being on a red eye returning through Texas does to you!

herczegzsolt 2y ago

Taxes may be part of a solution, but don't expect them to solve this problem alone. In most EU states you pay taxes to provide medical care to employees. If an employee gets sick or otherwise unable to work, you are usually required to continue paying those taxes even if the employee does zero workhours. The key part to help small businesses is to mitigate their risk of dispropotional cost. Does not matter if it's a tax or any other payable.

glitchc 2y ago

Is that single-payer healthcare?

PopAlongKid 2y ago

> fund employee benefits through taxes instead This is already true, at least in part. Not only do employers get to fully deduct the cost of almost all employee benefits from their taxable income, but in most cases (e.g. health insurance) they also do not have to pay their share of employer payroll taxes (Soc. Sec and Medicare tax).

timewizard 2y ago

You should know that the Treasury is mostly funded by taxpayers. If we break down total receipts into the Treasury 85% come from individual tax returns, 7% come from business tax returns, and 7% from excise taxes.