Taxpayers' Watchdog Committee

998 N. 900 W.

LEXINGTON, IN 47138

812.866.4900 fcoates@seidata.com 812.866.5700 fax

Subject: Marriage Tax Penalty

Dear Editor:

About 21 million married couples in the U.S. pay an average of $1400 more in taxes than they would if they were divorced.

Sixty-six different provisions in the tax code cause this "marriage penalty."

The Republicans have proposed a plan that would adjust two of these provisions.

The Republicans tax relief plan would reduce the "marriage penalty" to about $700.

Surely we can all agree that at the least our government's tax code should not be economically discouraging marriage.

In fact, should not our government be strongly supporting the best and most cost effective social program on earth--the marriage based two-parent family?

The President says he will veto the tax cut. You would think the President of the United States would value marriage and families enough to reduce the government's tax penalty on them, wouldn't you?

Even if he does not value marriage, perhaps he will take notice of those of us who do when we call him at 202-456-1414. Let's tell him to STOP punishing couples who choose to get married, and take a small step towards fairness by signing the Taxpayer Refund and Relief Act.

Yours truly,

Floyd Coates

Chairman