Question About Gay Marriage (Taxes)

Are gay couples whose marriages are recognized by a state such as MA treated as married couples for the purposes of federal income tax? How about state income tax for those states that recognize gay marriage?

We're recognized as married for state tax purposes.

He's the one who signed the "Defense" of Marriage Act into law. With that, the US government is not allowed to obey the Constitution's Full Faith and Credit Clause regarding certain marriages.

Added: Oops, this should have been a response to the OP.

Oh yeah, and while we're at it, we also have to pay taxes on domestic partner benefits, unlike straight married people. They take a bite when they deduct the employee portion from our pay (in that it comes out of our income after taxes are deducted, as opposed to before tax income, which lessens the tax burden for straight married people), and they take a bite after by charging us tax on the portion that the employer pays (which straight married people never have to pay).

Here's a simplistic example:

Straight married person:
Gross Monthly income: $2,000
Family health deduction (before taxes): 200
Taxable income: 1,800
Taxes: 450
Actual take home pay: $1,350

Gay married person
Gross Monthly income: $2,000
Family health deduction (after taxes): 200
Value of Employer health benefit (not imposed on straight people): 400
Taxable income: 2,600
Taxes: 650
Actual take home pay: $1,150

The gay person is paying taxes on an implied income of 800 more than the straight person, and ends up with $200 less a month to live on. In addition to that, when filing taxes, since they have to file separately, they are also over-taxed then if there is any disparity in the income, which there very often is in both straight and gay relationships.

That straight person has a REAL family to take care of. :eyes:

My employer is very progressive and provides full insurance to my partner. However, because the Federal Gov't doesn't recognize our relationship this 'extra' money my Co. spends is counted as extra income which I am taxed on. Heterosexual married couples do not pay this very high extra tax.

We had to file joint state taxes. It was a pain in the ass for my step-dad who's a CPA. We ended up getting screwed. Under the Domestic Partner law we HAD to file joint. I don't know what will happen when we get married.

The fed doesn't recognize us as a married couple even when we get married in California, so it's a null and void with them.