Tax Tips for Same-Sex Married Couples
By Alden Wicker
It's been another banner year for gay rights, with Maine, Maryland and Washington saying "I do," to same-sex marriages. Plus, same-sex marriage legislation is currently moving through the Rhode Island legislature.
But there's still a shadow hanging over the celebrations of these victories: In the eyes of the federal government, couples in legal same-sex marriages are still single.
So regardless of what your state's law says, if you're part of such a couple, when you pay taxes to Washington, you're considered single. (And that's only the beginning. When it comes to Social Security survivor benefits, or getting insurance under the coverage of your federally employed partner, you're also still single.)
There are two things you should know: First, this makes your taxes more complicated, and hence might require you to hire an accountant and/or pay more in fees for them to wade through the situation. Second, according to an analysis by H&R Block, same-sex couples pay as much as $6,000 more in taxes than heterosexual couples.
That certainly shouldn't stop you from getting married. But you probably have questions about what else you need to know if you're a Mrs. and Mrs. or Mr. and Mr. at tax time. We'll walk you through how to do your taxes right:
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