Ellison Report: Asks IRS to Help LGBT Pairs with Taxes

U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (DFL-MN) joined Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-MN) in urging the IRS to provide same sex couples with assistance when filing their tax returns, according to an article in The Minnesota Independent.

Same-sex couples who have legal relationships in at least 15 states through marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships aren’t recognized by the federal government because of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), according to the article. This makes filing taxes much more complicated for those couples because of the inconsistancies between the states and federal laws.

The letter stated:

“The IRS has the ability to provide specific guidance to ease the complexity and uncertainty surrounding these couples ... While full equality cannot be achieved without repealing DOMA, this guidance will provide significant relief to hundreds of thousands of taxpayers, and save critical resources by avoiding unnecessary audits and inappropriate enforcement actions.”