Question

Casey is the 12% marginal tax bracket, and Jean is in the 35% marginal tax bracket. Their employer is experiencing financial difficulties and cannot continue to pay for the company's health insurance plan. The annual premiums are approximately $8,000 per employee. The employer has proposed to either (1) require the employee to pay the premiums or (2) reduce each employee’s pay by $10,000 per year with the employer paying the premium. Which option is less objectionable to Casey, and which is less objectionable to Jean?Casey would find the first option less objectionable since she would be "better off" by ? $. Jean would find the second option less objectionable since she would be"better off" ? $.

Answer 1

Answer:

Casey would prefer option 1; that he pays the premiums ($8,000). Even if Casey cannot deduct his insurance premiums as medical expenses, his income will only be reduced by $8,000. If he decided to take option 2, his income would be reduced by $8,800 (= $10,000 - 12%), so he is saving $800 by taking option 1.

On the other hand, Jean would prefer option 2; that her salary is reduced by $10,000 and her employer pays the premiums. By choosing option 2, Jean is going to lose $6,500 (= $10,000 - 35%). If she chose option 1, her income would be reduced by $8,000, so she is saving $1,500 by choosing option 2.