Joel Hefley: “since 1969, the Federal tax code has penalized 21 million couples annually, not for getting divorced, not for having…”

“since 1969, the Federal tax code has penalized 21 million couples annually, not for getting divorced, not for having children out of wedlock, not for shacking up, but for getting married. When a couple gets married, they are taxed at a higher rate than if they were still single or divorced. The marriage penalty for the average couple is $1,400. Now this may not seem like much to some, but with an additional $1,400, an average couple could pay the electric bill for 9 months, pay for 3 or 4 months of day care, pay for a 5-day vacation at Disneyland, pay four or five payments on their minivan, eat out 35 times, purchase 1,053 gallons of gas, and purchase 1,228 loaves of bread. It is immoral that our tax code discriminates against marriage. We have a tax code that discourages marriage and encourages divorce. Reforming a tax code will restore equity by ensuring that working couples are treated no differently when they get married than they were before.”