Minn. Reps Urge IRS to Assist Same-Sex Couples with Tax Issues

Two U.S. reps from Minnesota are asking the IRS to provide information that assists same-sex couples in filing their federal taxes.

On Friday, Betty McCollum and Keith Ellison, along with 74 members of Congress, signed a letter urging the IRS to provide help for same-sex couples who encounter complications due to tax law inconsistencies between individual states and the federal government.

The Minnesota Independent reports that “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.”

The letter states that "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.”

McCollum said this guidance should have been provided by the IRS years ago.

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