Sorry, workers: Deferred payroll taxes should eventually be paid

Lawmakers and some taxpayers will face a year-end mess because of an ill-advised executive action earlier this year by President Trump, but that doesn’t mean Congress should “fix” the mess.

Trump’s action in August allowed, but did not require, employers to stop collecting the 6.2% Social Security payroll tax from workers until the end of this calendar year. The move was nominally intended as a form of coronavirus-related economic relief, although it looked more like a Trump bid for votes than like a true relief effort.