| With the GOP's slavish allegiance to its unelected leader, Grover Norquist, you'd think that the "lower taxes" party would enthusiastically support an easy way to lower the tax burden of a sizable minority. This group, on average, pays as much as $6,000/per year in extra taxes and the GOP thinks that's just dandy. You see, their tax burden isn't a problem for many Republicans because these people happen to be gay. According to a CNN Money/H&R Block analysis: Even as more same-sex couples are able to file jointly at the state level, they are still forced to file as single when submitting federal returns to the IRS.
This means they can't combine their income and deductions to take advantage of lower tax rates. It's also harder for them to qualify for certain tax breaks because the credits phase out sooner for single filers.
But it's not just income taxes that penalize gay couples: Many same-sex spouses don't qualify for the same marital exemptions given to other families for inheritance taxes and gift taxes. In addition, same-sex households receive lower tax exclusions for capital gains on the sales of a home (unless the home is jointly owned and each spouse qualifies for the exclusion).
Marriage equality means more than choosing the partner you love. Married people receive many state and federal benefits including: Social Security survivor benefits, pensions, employer health insurance plans, and more. This lack of protection can be devastating financially. I have a good friend who's been with her partner for over 30 years. When she was diagnosed with MS, she had to stop working full time, lost her health insurance, couldn't buy a private policy because of the MS, and had to file for Social Security disability and Medicaid in order to get health care. Her partner is a federal employee & had her partner been a "he" instead of "she," it would have been a simple matter to join the group policy. But our fiscally, conservative "family values" Republican Party thinks public assistance (which they're also trying to cut) is a better option than supporting the benefits of marriage equality. The Alabama legislature is very, very concerned this term about keeping people married. As long as it's a marriage they personally approve of. |
