Gay Couples Face Higher Tax Bills »
Posted by: TimALoftis 3 months, 3 weeks ago63 CommentsReflectReport this Story
For gay couples, the April 15 tax filing deadline can be a reminder of the disparities they face, even in a nation that is becoming more accepting of same-sex couples.
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Charlson3 months, 3 weeks ago
A homosexual couple who share a home and commitment to each other should be afforded the same tax breaks married heterosexual couples enjoy. This tax law we have in the US is like a contract. For our protection and the unalienable rights our government affords us, we pay taxes. To tax a group more because of sexual orientation instead of income is taxation without representation. It would be tantamount to taxing a person more for being black, or asian, or hispanic.
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libsRfunny3 months, 3 weeks ago
"A homosexual couple who share a home and commitment to each other should be afforded the same tax breaks married heterosexual couples enjoy."
Personally, I don't care if gay couples marry and, if married, get the same tax treatment as heterosexual couples.
That said, Democrats have been controlled congress for almost two years. Not one things done to change the tax law regarding same-sex marriages, even as we have states upholding them.
As I have said all along: Democrats are fooling gay couples by pretending to support them. Who signed the Massachusetts' measure into law? Oh yeah, MITT ROMNEY, a conservative Republican.
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Tangent0013 months, 3 weeks ago
Are you really suggesting that the GOP is the friend of homosexuals? Individual Republicans may well be, but opposing same-sex marriage has long been a meat-and-potatoes issue with Conservative voters. Lest we forget, which administration was (is) it that was pushing for a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman?
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dandt16123 months, 3 weeks ago
Once again not everyone is treated equal in this country. If you are a straight couple or a gay couple and you are in a committed relationship you should be able to get the tax breaks like the married on paper couples. It's only right.
It should be our right. My partner and I are going on 19 years and would love to have the tax break and pay a little less in taxes.
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libsRfunny3 months, 3 weeks ago
"If you are a straight couple or a gay couple and you are in a committed relationship you should be able to get the tax breaks like the married on paper couples. It's only right."
Wrong! Only married couples should get the break. That's why I support gay marriage.
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THOMNH623 months, 3 weeks ago
nice try, face reality we are a socialist state already. Everyone complains about tax cuts for the rich, they are the only ones paying taxes.
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tkyrchncs3 months, 3 weeks ago
How great that would be if true, but in fact it is the poorest of the tax payers who pay the largest percentage of their income in taxes, and the wealthiest who benefit most from high-end (read infrastructure and military) expenditures.
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saintetienne3 months, 3 weeks ago
I got news for you:
-The top 50% of wage earners pay 96.54% of all taxes.
-The top 10% of wage earners pay 65.84% of all taxes.
-The top 5% of wage earners pay 54.36% of all taxes.
So as you can see, the poor pay a miniscule - a MINISCULE - amount of taxes, which is why the government, by and large, doesn't care about them. You want to be taken seriously? EARN SOME DOUGH. The government will be very, VERY interested.
A SMART government (Republicans) steps aside and allows businesses to flourish, because it means more revenue for them (the government), not to mention more jobs, more goods and services, more products on the market to choose from, etc.
A STUPID government (Democrats) hampers business with high taxes, regulations, tariffs, unecessary laws and bureaucratic red tape, then stupidly distributes the money they do collect to the poor, in the hopes that it will benefit them and "pull them up". Well, we've all seen what happens....
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raats66623 months, 3 weeks ago
I was going to argue with you that those people making less then $20,000 per year (adjusted) pay less then anyone else. But that is only INCOME taxes. When you add in the 7.65% for SS & MED you are correct.
A Joint filing COUPLE who makes $20,000 (adjusted) pays about 13% in FEDERAL Income tax. By contrast Cheney had an adjusted income of $3.04 MILLION last year and payed just under 20% in Federal Income taxes. HOWEVER he paid no SS and MED after making $102,000.
So when you put the SS (7.65%) and add it to the FWT (13%) you do end up with higher rate.
Unfortunately, if that tax return is filed as a SINGLE, you actually pay even. That is what's facing gay couples and it's NOT right.
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libsRfunny3 months, 3 weeks ago
"but in fact it is the poorest of the tax payers who pay the largest percentage of their income in taxes"
You couldn't be more wrong. In fact, there is little to no income tax on the "poorest." Military expenditures benefit the "poor" and working class more than the wealthy via jobs - unless you mean Dianne Feinstein.
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newbie04203 months, 3 weeks ago
As a straight single un-married man, I assume I pay the same as a gay single un-married man.
This is a "couples" issue right?
One other thing, if I never get married and never have kids, is it fair that I pay more in taxes then families that do have kids?
I'm not making more Americans that pay taxes but I'm also not draining any resources from the economy by having kids either(shool, medicaid, things like that).
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newbie04203 months, 3 weeks ago
I'm all for gay couples getting married by churches that agree with it, I just don't want churches to be forced to.
I'm also for the couples rights to the same tax breaks straight couples are given.
One reason why I believe they may be paying more is many do not have kids they can write off.
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Tangent0013 months, 3 weeks ago
Churches can refuse to marry whomever they please. My ex-wife and I had to obtain a 'Disparity of Cult' Dispensation from the Catholic church before they would consent to marry us. I also had to sign a document stating my personal Atheism would in no way interfere with our kids being brought up as Catholics.
As an aside, the reason they don't have kids they can write off is that only only 22 states allow gays and lesbians to adopt.
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Tangent0013 months, 3 weeks ago
That's been one of the arguments against same-sex marriage: That, "Well, marriage is all about procreation." Some of the more, shall we say 'vehement' adherents to Biblical Literalism are fine with disallowing marriage between a man and a woman if one or the other is sterile, or between people who admit they don't want kids.
Not sure where they stand on the tax issue though.
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Global_Warmer3 months, 3 weeks ago
"And just what pray tell is the difference between a gay and straight couple which don't have kids???..."
Straight couples aren't confused. Any other questions?
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nostalgia3 months, 3 weeks ago
Any tax benefits from marriage will depend on whether one or both work
According to the Smart Money:
The Marriage Penalty Tax
If your spouse were single, he or she would be taxed like this in 2008: The first $8,025 of taxable income would be taxed at 10%; the next $24,525 at 15%; the next $46,300 at 25%; and the rest at 28%, 33% and 35%, depending on how high the salary climbed.
But, because that spouse is hooked up with you, the tax rules can effectively pile the incremental bucks on top of your pre-existing taxable income, rather than allowing your spouse to start out, like you, paying 10%, then 15%, and so on.
This is in direct contrast to the marriage bonus you now get if only one of you is working but you're married. For example, singles start paying the 28% rate at $78,850. But joint-filers don't jump into that tax bracket until they reach taxable income of $131,450.
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nostalgia3 months, 3 weeks ago
State and Local Income Taxes - Most states extract their own version of the marriage penalty.
Social Security and Medicare Taxes
Remember to add insult to injury by recognizing that Social Security and Medicare taxes will also be sucked out of the second salary. For 2008, the combined rate is 7.65% on the first $102,000 of earnings and 1.45% on the excess. If the second spouse will be self-employed, the rates are even more painful รข;; 15.3% and 2.9% respectively.
http://www.smartmoney.com/tax/homefamily/index....
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tkyrchncs3 months, 3 weeks ago
What in Heaven's Name is wrong with taxing each person's income equally regardless of whom they are married to, how much they make, how many children they have or what they spend it on? Just a flat tax across the board on all income, period. No worries no hassles, as long as you can figure a percentage.
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Global_Warmer3 months, 3 weeks ago
This is so ironic!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gay couples want to get married so they can have tax breaks that married couples have, yet they vote for the Democrats that want to rescind the tax rebate and raise taxes. Amazing!
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Global_Warmer3 months, 3 weeks ago
Here's the breakdown of what will happen if a dem takes the white house and lets the Bush tax cuts expire. Get ready for the biggest tax increase in history.
Taxes under Clinton 1999**************Taxes under Bush 2008
Single making 30K-tax $8,400**********30K-tax $4,500
Single making 50K-tax $14,000*********50K tax $12,500
Single making 75K-tax $23,250*********75K-tax $18,750
Married making 60K-tax $16,800********60K-tax $9,000
Married making 75K-tax $21,000********75K-tax $18,750
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raats66623 months, 3 weeks ago
How about THESE number from the 2007 tax system.....
Last year the Bush's adjusted income was $765,801 and on that the paid roughly 24.3%. This year they made $923,807 ($158K MORE then last year) and they paid 23.9% in taxes. But my favorite is the Cheney's on their $3.04 MILLION they paid 19.8% in taxes.
I would also like to point out that a couple filing a joint return whose adjusted income is $250,000 would pay $61,700 in income tax or about 24.6%.
So if the tax code were changed and those making more then $750,000 were actually paying the high tax rate and those making LESS then $750,000 were paying less not only would it 'skew' the Middle Class, but in fact Cheney would be paying the taxes of 12 people while the "Middle Class" burden would only be reduced by $12,000.
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Submitted By:
TimALoftis
As long as the differences and diversities of mankind exist, democracy must allow for compromise, for accommodation, and for the recognition of differences.
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