NASE Announces 2003 Legislative Priorities
Washington, D. C., January 7, 2003 -- The National Association for the Self-Employed announced its 2003 Legislative Priorities as the 108th Congress convened in Washington, D. C., this week. Clarification of the independent contractor definition, access to affordable health coverage and tax equality top the priorities list.
(PRWEB) February 26, 2003
“This set of legislative priorities really focuses on the needs of the self-employed and micro-businesses, businesses with 10 employees or less, as a segment of the larger ‘small-business’ community,” said Kristie Darien, NASE director of government affairs. “By concentrating on these issues, we bring the needs of the backbone of the American economy to Congress.”
A clarification in the independent contractor definition is needed to help the self-employed and micro-businesses determine who is an employee and who is a contractor for tax purposes.
“Many of our Members do their own taxes, and the antiquated IRS system of determining who is and who is not an independent contractor is not easy to understand,” said NASE President Robert Hughes.
Access to affordable health coverage is also a priority for the NASE. According to a 2002 NASE survey, 70 percent of micro-businesses do not have health coverage themselves or offer it to their employees. Census data indicates that 62 percent of the more than 41 million Americans without health insurance are from families in which the head of household is self-employed or working for a company with fewer than 100 employees.
In 2003, the NASE will work to influence favorable health care legislation. Key legislation includes Association Health Plans and health care tax credits.. The NASE is also determined to find a solution to unfair taxation on the self-employedÂ’s health insurance premiums. Under present tax laws, corporations are able to deduct health insurance premiums as a business expense and to forego FICA (Social Security and Medicare) taxes on these premiums. In contrast, the self-employed are required to pay an additional 15.3 percent self-employment tax on these expenses.
The NASE tax equality priorities include an increase in the deduction for business meals and equipment.
Also in 2003, the NASE will continue its Women Entrepreneurship initiative. Last summer the NASE co-sponsored summits across the nation to address the concerns of this growing sector of the small business population. NASE President Hughes, who runs his own accounting practice, spoke to summit participants about health care and tax issues.
“I am excited about expanding the Women Entrepreneurship initiative this year,” Hughes said. “With expectations that over half of micro-businesses will be owned by women in the next few years, the NASE looks forward to continuing this effort with the incoming Congress.”
For a complete list of the National Association for the Self-Employed 108th Legislative Priorities, please contact Maureen Fleming, NASE public affairs manager, at (202) 466-2100 or m. fleming@nase. org. Visit www. nase. org to read more about the association and its legislative activities.
About the NASE
The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation's leading resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, bringing a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy. The NASE is a 501c (6) non-profit organization and provides big-business advantages to hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the United States. For more information, visit www. selfemployedtexas. com
