First Regular Session

Sixty-second General Assembly

LLS NO. R99­0954.01 Jason Gelender

STATE OF COLORADO

BY REPRESENTATIVE McElhany;

also SENATOR Arnold.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 99-1055

CONCERNING CONGRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION TO ELIMINATE THE FEDERAL MARRIAGE TAX PENALTY.

WHEREAS, The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the federal income tax system imposes a marriage tax penalty on twenty­three million Americans; and

WHEREAS, The marriage tax penalty discourages hard work by penalizing dual­income married couples more than any other individuals; and

WHEREAS, Under the federal income tax system, married individuals have smaller standard deductions, earlier loss of itemized deductions and personal exemptions, a smaller capital loss deduction, and a double loss of IRA deductions when compared to single individuals; and

WHEREAS, The marriage tax penalty has a severe impact on the working poor; and

WHEREAS, It is unfair and inappropriate for the federal government to impose an additional income tax penalty on married individuals; and

WHEREAS, Several bills to eliminate the federal marriage tax penalty are presently pending before the United States Congress; and

WHEREAS, The elimination of the federal marriage tax penalty is an important step in creating a fairer and simpler federal income tax system; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Sixty­second General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:

That we, the members of the General Assembly, urge the United States Congress to enact legislation eliminating the federal marriage tax penalty.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to each member of the Colorado congressional delegation and to Charles O. Rossotti, Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.