Will PA Same-Sex Couples be Able to File Joint Tax Returns?

By Lucy Bennett

Same-sex couples have been getting married in Pennsylvania after Montgomery County Register of Wills Bruce Hanes started issuing marriage licenses.  

The state Health Department is suing the county over the move.

Now, U.S Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-13) is calling on the Obama Administration to clarify how couples married with these licenses will be treated under the federal tax code after this summer’s landmark ruling that the Treasury Department and IRS will treat all legally married couples the same, even if they live in states that do not recognize same-sex unions, such as Pennsylvania.

“The couples who were married with a license issued in Pennsylvania deserve equal treatment under the law, and we urge Treasury and the IRS to provide clarity to them as quickly as possible,” said Ted Martin, Executive Director of Equality Pennsylvania, in a press release from Schwartz.

“As the end of the year approaches and these couples seek to prepare their tax filings, it is important that they are provided with clarification from your agency on how their marriages will be recognized for federal tax purposes,” said Schwartz in her letter to the Obama administration.