MARRIAGE TAX
Just in time for April 15, I recount the history of the "marriage penalty" in an article for the Boston Globe's Sunday Ideas section. The marriage penalty is one of those subjects nobody in political life tells the blunt truth about. Contrary to popular belief, it's not a conscious policy, the 2001 tax bill didn't get rid of it, a lot of married couples get a bonus, and the public and politicians are deeply attached to the contradictions that give rise to it.
To calculate your own marriage penalty/bonus, use the marriage penalty calculator here.
Update: The link above has been fixed. Thanks to everyone who wrote in--and no thanks to Movable Type for getting it wrong in the first place!
Update II: A friend writes, "I got married last year. Just did my taxes. Wife and I were hit with a HUGE marriage penalty. Gov't promotes 'family values' my ass. It's outrageous." At our house, we know that all government tax policy is based on a single principle, "Tax the Postrels."