White House Planning to Only Change Withholding For 'Rich; if US Falls Off Fiscal Cliff

Like most other plans in DC, this would only act as a stop gap. It would stop people from feeling the tax increase at first, but at the cost of a serious balloon tax payment due at the end of the year many may never see coming.

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/domestic-taxes/271791-white-house-could-protect-middle-class-from-tax-hikes

"The White House has the power to temporarily protect taxpayers from middle-class tax hikes even as upper income rates rise if Congress does nothing and all of the Bush-era tax rates expire in January.

Experts and lawmakers alike agree that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has the power to adjust how much is withheld from paychecks for tax purposes — for all taxpayers or just for some.

By doing so, Geithner could ensure paychecks reflect the White House position that wealthier taxpayers with annual income higher than $250,000 see their taxes rise. Geithner at the same time could leave withholding tables where they are for the middle class, ensuring those workers don’t see a higher cut from their paychecks.
...
The tactic could buy Washington precious time to strike a tax agreement without pinching the economy, but it carries substantial risk. If the administration miscalculates where rates end up, tinkering with withholding could morph tax refunds into hefty bills."