Provisions Affecting Coverage of Employment or Earnings, or Inclusion of Other Sources of Revenue
These provisions expand or reduce the categories of workers or the amount of earnings covered under the Social Security system, or add other sources of revenue that would be dedicated to OASDI. We provide a summary list of all options (printer-friendly PDF version) in this category. For each provision listed below, we provide an estimate of the financial effect on the OASDI program over the long-range period (the next 75 years) and for the 75th year. In addition, we provide graphs and detailed single year tables. We base all estimates on the intermediate assumptions described in the 2019 Trustees Report.
Choose the type of estimates (summary or detailed) from the list of provisions.
| Number | Table and graph selection |
|---|---|
| F1 |
Starting in 2020, cover newly hired State and local government employees.
Summary measures and graphs
(PDF version)
Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memoranda containing this or a similar provision: |
| F2 |
Starting in 2020, exempt individuals with more than 180 quarters of
coverage from the OASDI payroll tax. Earnings exempted from OASDI payroll
tax would not be used in computing benefits.
Summary measures and graphs
(PDF version)
Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: |
| F3 |
Expand covered earnings to include employer and employee premiums
for employer-sponsored group health insurance (ESI). Starting in
2023, phase out the OASDI payroll tax exclusion for ESI premiums.
Set an exclusion level at the 75th percentile of premium distribution
in 2023, with amounts above that subject to the payroll tax. Reduce
the exclusion level each year by 10 percent of the 2023 exclusion
level until fully eliminated in 2032. Eliminate the excise tax on
ESI premiums starting in 2023.
Summary measures and graphs
(PDF version)
Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: |
| F4 |
Expand covered earnings to include contributions to voluntary salary
reduction plans (such as Cafeteria 125 plans and Flexible Spending Accounts).
Starting in 2020, subject these contributions to the OASDI payroll tax,
making the payroll tax treatment of these contributions like 401(k)
contributions.
Summary measures and graphs
(PDF version)
Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: |
| F5 |
Tax Reform for Business: Establish a value added tax (VAT) of
3.0 percent for 2021 and 6.5 percent for 2022 and later. Assume about
75% of personal consumption expenditures is subject to the VAT.
Summary measures and graphs
(PDF version)
Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: |
| F6 |
Apply a 6.2 percent tax on investment income as defined in the Affordable
Care Act (ACA), with unindexed thresholds as in the ACA ($200,000 for single
filer, $250,000 for married filing jointly), starting in 2021. Proceeds
go to the OASI and DI Trust Funds.
Summary measures and graphs
(PDF version)
Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memoranda containing this or a similar provision: |
| F7 |
For the estate tax, gift tax, and generation skipping transfer
(GST) tax, return the respective exemption thresholds and tax
rates to 2009 levels ($3.5 million threshold for estate tax with
a top 45% tax rate) for deaths after 2019 and gifts made after
2019, with those levels not indexed in future years. All proceeds
from the estate tax, gift tax, and GST tax would go to the OASI
and DI Trust Funds.
Summary measures and graphs
(PDF version)
Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memoranda containing this or a similar provision: |