I'm not a Joe the Plumber expert, but I know he doesn't clear $250,000

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

This whole thing is a bizarre scam... look at his house. It's a normal one story house without much land in a normal working class neighborhood.

Sorry, but this guy would pay less taxes under Obama. (Assuming he paid his taxes at all.)

This is one of the RW's looniest stunts yet.

[glowing]

1. He's talking about buying a plumbing business.. I'm sure that means

taking out a loan and paying a lot of interest.. that alone would save a lot of tax money.. This guy is an idiot example. There's no way he'd make that much money in a recessed economy.

[Virginia Dare]

7. So he's a big hypothetical joke...n/t

[gateley]

2. Records show he has a tax lien against him.

He's one of those people who just keep supporting Republicans regardless of how bad their own financial situation is. It makes no sense.

[DrDan]

3. did he claim he did?

I did not see the original exchange between him and Obama.

I did see his interview this morning. Some reporter actually asked the guy if he was going to run for office in the future.

Typical fox viewer. Probably lusts after hannity.

[Eric J in MN]

4. He told Katie Couric he makes less than $250,000...

...but that he was afraid of a slippery slope of more taxation.

http://voices.kansascity.com/node/2451

[DrDan]

5. yeah - a lot less

he is just spouting all the thing he has heard on hannity

[Virginia Dare]

8. Robert Gibbs said this a.m.

that in his original conversation with Obama he said he made less than 250,000. This has gone off into some strange hypothetical situation where he thinks he's going to buy his own business and make a bunch of money.

[sandnsea]

10. He said he was going to buy a business

and make over $250,000. That's what he said.

[DeepBlueDem]

6. I have a successful Auto Mechanic shop...and I dont even clear 250,000

Theres no way i can clear 250,000 at my shop. heres why

My business hrs 8-11/12-4:30 M-F

in 2004..I grossed 97,543
2005..I grossed 48,221 (katrina year)
2006..I grossed 151,970 (FEMA money, insurance checks and mostly Engine rebuilds
2007..I grossed 100,398


This year has been awful.

[Lex]

13. and of course what your business grossed is not what is taxed anyway

you get taxed AFTER deductions, on the NET profit

So of course like most all small businessmen you are not where close to *netting* the $250,000.

[serrano2008]

9. Question about the numbers here...help me out please...

So, even if he runs a plumbing business out of his home and has the company set up so that his money and the business money are the same basically (S corp? LLC?) his actual "income" would be the amount the business grossed minus expenses, right?

He would have to gross quite a bit more than $250,000 to have higher taxes under Obama right, cause you would minus his expenses. Like, even if he grossed $350,000, if he had $105,000 of business expenses he would qualify for the lower rate, right?

Don't pummel me for being dumb about this, just trying to understand.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

11. You are correct. Only net profit is taxed

[WallStreetNobody]

12. Serrano you're right, it's basically that simple but

Joe the Plumber is just an idiot. That is the important thing to remember. People will rack their heads trying to figure this out when the simple problem is the guy is just a complete moron. Someone upthread said it right, he's just a classic example of a moron that votes Republican no matter how bad his financial situation is. He is too dumb to figure out what works better for him.

[gmoney]

14. He's also worried about taxes on his Publisher's Clearing House winnings...

He may already be a winner, doncha know!