Bill > S734

Introduced Session

The bill revises the gross income tax rates for joint filers and similar taxpayers and is designated as the Marriage Penalty Elimination Act. As is common with progressive income tax structures, a marriage penalty occurs when married taxpayers, who would have otherwise faced a lower income tax liability by remaining single and filing individual tax returns, face a higher tax liability due to their marital status and filing their taxes jointly. For the sake of tax equity, the bill would amend the tax brackets for those filing jointly to align the tax brackets with those imposed on taxpayers filing individual tax returns. These changes would lower the gross income tax liability of most joint filers. The bill accomplishes eliminating the so-called marriage penalty by making the following changes to the tax brackets of joint filers: · Taxable income up to $40,000 would be taxed at a rate of 1.40 percent. · Taxable income over $40,000 but not over $70,000 would be taxed at a rate of 1.75 percent. The bill would take effect immediately and apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2018.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Tony Bucco (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee (on 01/14/2020)

Official Document