Oh, Congress, thanks for nothing — again. Will that tax “rebate” check be $300 or $600? Don’t matter to me, since I’ll get nothing.

You see, in their desire to get a “rebate” to “everyone” (read: the poor, who don’t pay income tax), they set the criteria as people who pay into Social Security [who make less than $75K]. Well, as an independent small business owner, I don’t pay into SS. I still pay income taxes. And to be more of a stickler about it, aren’t you supposed to get “rebates” for things you’ve actually purchased? Do people now get rebates on items they don’t buy? If so, let me know where!

Our Presidential Candidates

I realize that it’s a tough call, since most of the poor don’t reach income requirements, and could probably benefit from the money the most, but come on. Small business owners are the bread-and-butter of new job creation in the United States. And isn’t job creation and new businesses what this country really needs? Do we really need people spending $300-600 checks on more crap at Walmart, or paying down existing debt to gigantic corporations?

Now, there are rumors that there will be “breaks for businesses”, which I read as “kickbacks to big corporations”. I’ve yet to see much from Congress that actually helps the small business owner. Instead, it’s the good-ol-boys scratching each others backs. Great way to spend my tax dollars.

Enough with the quick fixes already, which need to be repeated every couple of years. Let’s be fiscally responsible for once, damnit.

Update: It looks like they changed the criteria a bit. Who knows what criteria they are using now.

Individuals who pay income taxes would get up to $600, working couples $1,200 and those with children an additional $300 per child under the agreement. Workers who make at least $3,000 but don’t pay taxes would get $300 rebates.

Update 2: Deb is right, I do pay into SS/Medicare via the 1040 SE (self-employment tax). It’s unemployment I don’t pay into. I get the joy of paying quarterly estimated taxes, which seem a lot more “real” to me than payroll deductions. Maybe because it’s already taken out with payroll, and for estimated taxes I have to write big checks.