It's not mandatory....I don't have a car...but I do have a body!
Originally Posted by canoodle
It's not mandatory that you buy health insurance either. Sure, there's a "penalty" if you don't, but consider this:
If my neighbor, who i work with and makes exactly the same income as i do, doesn't buy health insurance, but i do, he'll pay more in taxes than i would. The government isn't forcing him to buy insurance, but they are telling him that he'll pay less in taxes if he does.
Similarly, if my neighbor buys a house and i don't, using the interest deduction, he'll pay less in taxes than i would. The government isn't telling me i must buy a house, but they are telling me that if i do buy a house, i'll pay less in taxes.
Similarly, a few years ago, the government didn't force me to buy a car, but they did tell me that if i bought a car i could deduct the sales tax and pay less in Federal Income taxes.
Similarly, the government doesn't force me to buy a new high efficiency furnace, but it has told me that if i buy a high efficiency furnace, i'll pay less in taxes.
So one person's mandate is simply another person's incentive.