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Legislature Supports
Equity for Married Couples

(JUNEAU) - The House called for the elimination of the marriage tax penalty when it unanimously passed a Senate resolution on Tuesday.

Senate Joint Resolution 12, sponsored by Senator Loren Leman (R-Anchorage), urges Congress to correct the imbalance in the federal tax code that taxes married couples more than unmarried people. According to the Congressional Budget Office, married couples pay an average of $1,480 more in taxes each year than if they were living together and filing individual returns. This marriage penalty affects 67,000 Alaskan couples.

Last year Congress recognized this inequity. However, President Clinton vetoed legislation to fix it.

"Our tax code should be fair," said Leman. "Adding a tax burden to couples because they are married just isn't right."

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Attachments:

• Sponsor Statement for SJR 12
  
• Print Friendly Version
  requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - 1 page(s) - 102 K

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| Sen. Leman's Page |

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