A bill that will help us

When Rockwell Collins added domestic partnership medical coverage to their plan, we didn't immediately sign up for the benefit. I weighed my plan and Daryl's and thought that the cost would be about the same in premiums, but Daryl would have twice as much coverage under my plan. I didn't realize that the tax burden would also be changed. Currently, the Internal Revenue Code excludes from income the value of insurance premiums and benefits received by employees for coverage of an employee’s spouse and dependents, but does not extend this treatment to coverage of domestic partners. The Domestic partnership benefit for Daryl is $5292 added to my income. I have an extra tax added to my paycheck that other couples do not have for their spouse and dependents. A bill was introduced in March in the House of Representatives and has been introduced in the Senate this week. Hopefully, this bill will pass making it better not only for us, but for other couples, especially those gay and lesbian couples with children. Then of course if it passes, we will have to see if President Bush will sign it.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

SENATORS INTRODUCE TAX EQUITY FOR DOMESTIC PARTNER AND HEALTH PLAN BENEFICIARIES ACT

Bipartisan Bill Will End Tax Inequities That Apply to Employer-Provided Health Insurance for Domestic Partners

WASHINGTON — Today, Sens. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., and Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., introduced the Tax Equity for Domestic Partner and Health Plan Beneficiaries Act, a bill supported by the Human Rights Campaign. Smith and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., are the lead sponsors of the legislation; Lieberman is an original co-sponsor. The legislation, which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on March 29, 2007, by Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., would end the tax inequities that currently apply to employer-provided health insurance for domestic partners.