GAY MARRIAGE PENALTY
I have a short article in today's Boston Globe Ideas section:
THE BAD NEWS for newlywed Massachusetts gays and lesbians is that, under the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, the federal government won't recognize their marriages.
The good news is that by staying "single" in the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service, they could save a lot on taxes. Despite some reforms in 2001, many two-earner couples still pay a "marriage penalty," particularly if one spouse earns enough to hit the top tax bracket on his or her income alone.
Massachusetts, I learned during my reporting, has a fairly "marriage neutral" tax code--one that I wish the federal tax code would emulate. Read the rest here. For background on the broader issues, and the history of the "marriage tax," see my 2003 Globe piece here.