Legislation to
equalize the assessment of taxes for health-care
coverage of same-sex partners was quietly introduced in
Congress last week. The Tax Equity for Health Plan
Beneficiaries Act, proposed by Rep. Jim
McDermott, a Democrat from Washington state, would change
the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gay employees'
income the value of their partners' health insurance
in the same way that insurance for a spouse and
dependents is excluded, InvestmentNews.com reported.
Under current law, employees in civil
unions or domestic partnerships are taxed on their
partners' medical coverage, unlike married employees.
That coverage is also factored into their payroll
taxes, meaning both the employees and their employers' tax
obligations are higher.
A companion bill is expected to be introduced
soon in the Senate by Oregon Republican Gordon Smith
and New York Democrat Chuck Schumer, according to
InvestmentNews.com. (The Advocate)
