It doesn’t matter how long a same-sex couple has been together, come tax day they are considered single by the federal government. As single people, they must pretend their finances and their futures are not intertwined and forgo access to the many economic safety nets their tax dollars help fund, such as Social Security survivor benefits, estate tax deferral when inheriting property, and the ability to file taxes jointly. Every year, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people are forced to pay taxes on their partner’s health care benefits as if it were additional income. Opposite-sex couples are exempt from this unfair taxation.
Even in Massachusetts and Connecticut, where same-sex marriages are recognized by the state, they are not recognized by the federal government, and all of the above injustices apply.
LGBT people need equal rights for equal taxes paid. There are many paths to this equality, including repealing the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and passing an inclusive Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). I urge everyone to contact their legislators and eliminate this discrimination today.
You can find this blog in the Denver Post, posted April 15, 2009.
