New 'Snookie Tax' Enforcement Agents

First of all, I need to disclose a conflict of interest. I am a huge fan of the Jersey Shore, so please do not construe my commentary as critical of Snookie or any of the others on the show. I feel the pain of all those in America who want to tan without paying a massive new tax to the federal government. What’s next? Taxing gym memberships or Laundromats.

An army of Internal Revenue Service agents have been hired to enforce the new taxes contained in ObamaCare. Snookie and her Jersey Shore pals should watch out, because the IRS has hired 81 agents to crack down on any tanning salons that don’t pay the new Obamacare 10% excise tax on tanning. Let’s say a serious tanner buys a package for $100 per month. Get ready to hand over $1o per month to Uncle Sam.

According to Paul Bedard at US News, the IRS has to hire an army of federal bureaucrats to take more of your money pursuant to the mandates in ObamaCare and we are not merely talking about the tanning tax enforcement squadron.

The Internal Revenue Service says it will need an battalion of 1,054 new auditors and staffers and new facilities at a cost to taxpayersof more than $359 million in fiscal 2012 just to watch over the initial implementation of President Obama’s healthcare reforms. Among the new corps will be 81 workers assigned to make sure tanning salons pay a new 10 percent excise tax. Their cost: $11.5 million.

That is correct. 81 new bureaucrats to travel the nation to see if tanning salons are paying the 10% tax. They need to make sure that underground tanning salons don’t pop up next to Meth Labs and illegal casinos. Who knows what will happen if somebody sets up a tanning bed in their basement to make some money without paying the new ObamaTax. Maybe some jail time for that ObamaCare criminal.

Paul Bedard writes that, in addition to the crack down on tanning salons, the Obama Administration will have new government IRS Agents to make sure that business cough up $2.8 billion in taxes in the next two years on imported and domestic drug manufacturing.

The detailed IRS budget documents spell out exactly what most of the new workforce will be doing. For example, some 81 will be tasked just to handle the tax reporting of 25,000 tanning salons. They face a new 10 percent excise tax on indoor tanning services. Another 76 will be assigned to make sure businesses engaged in making and imported drugs pay their new fee which is expected to deliver $2.8 billion to the Treasury in 2012 and 2013. The new healthcare corps will also require new facilities and computers.

Of course this new tax will pay for silly programs like the new Qualified Therapudic Discovery Project Program.

This program was designed to provide tax credits and grants to small firms that show significant potential to produce new and cost-saving therapies, support U.S. jobs and increase U.S. competitiveness. Applicants were required to have their research projects certified as eligible for the credit or grant. IRS guidance describes the application process.

The IRS defines a qualified program as a project that is designed to:

1. To treat or prevent diseases or conditions by conducting pre-clinical activities, clinical trials, and clinical studies, or carrying out research protocols, for the purpose of securing approval of a product under section 505(b) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or section 351(a) of the Public Health Service Act,
2. To diagnose diseases or conditions or to determine molecular factors related to diseases or conditions by developing molecular diagnostics to guide therapeutic decisions, or
3. To develop a product, process, or technology to further the delivery or administration of therapeutics.

This is a great case study on how ObamaCare is growing government. On one hand they are using ObamaCare to expand the IRS and on the other hand they are using ObamaCare to hand out tax credits for a “Therapeutic Discovery Project.” More taxes and more government money to promote activities that should be promoted by a profit motive. Snookie, Pauly D., JWOWW, The Situation, Ronnie, Vinny and Sammi should invest in a tanning bed for the beach house.

One can make a credible case that ObamaCare is a job killer for the tanning service industry and a stimulus program for government paid tax collectors at the IRS. Yet another reason to repeal this unconstitutional law.