Bill clarifies tax breaks for service members

Bill clarifies tax breaks for service members
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 21, 2008 5:52:29 EDT

Democratic leaders in Congress are pushing this week for passage of a military-related tax bill that would clarify the payment of economic stimulus rebates to military families.

The clarification spells out that service members filing joint returns are eligible for the rebate even if their spouses do not have Social Security numbers — a provision that would help service members married to foreigners.

The House of Representatives passed the bill, HR 6081, on Tuesday by a 403-0 vote. The Senate scheduled to pass it by the end of the week. Similar legislation passed the House and Senate last year, but the two bodies could never agree on all of the details.

Democrats from the two tax-writing committees, the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, have now agreed on details, but it is not clear whether Republicans, who have enough votes in the Senate to throw up procedural roadblocks, will go along.

Enactment is not guaranteed because of how the $2 billion cost of the tax benefits for military members would be covered — by preventing other people and companies from avoiding taxes.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_tax_stimuluspayments_052008w/