Bill
Bill > S2401
NJ S2401
NJ S2401Revises gross income tax rates for joint filers and similar taxpayers and designated as Marriage Penalty Elimination Act.
summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
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, 2022.
AI Summary
This bill, designated as the Marriage Penalty Elimination Act, revises the gross income tax rates for married individuals filing jointly and similar taxpayers to address the "marriage penalty," which occurs when married couples filing jointly pay more in taxes than they would if they filed as single individuals. To achieve tax equity, the bill amends the tax brackets for joint filers to align with those for individual filers, effectively lowering the tax liability for most married couples filing jointly. Specifically, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2022, taxable income up to $40,000 will be taxed at 1.40 percent, and income over $40,000 but not over $70,000 will be taxed at 1.75 percent, with further adjustments to higher income brackets. The bill takes effect immediately and applies to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2022.
Committee Categories
Budget and Finance
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee (on 01/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/S2401 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/S2500/2401_I1.HTM |
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