Posted: | April 9, 2013 04:13 PM |
---|---|
From: | Representative Stephen McCarter |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Elimination of Inheritance Tax for Domestic Partners |
In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that amends the Act of March 4, 1971 (P.L. 6, No. 2), also known as the Tax Reform Code, to eliminate the Inheritance Tax for domestic partners. Currently, domestic partners are subject to a 15 percent inheritance tax upon the death of their partners while married couples are exempt. This legislation will add definitions of “Domestic Partner” and “Spouse” to make the existing law more fair and inclusive, bringing the financial rights of domestic partners in line with those of married couples. My bill is similar to Senator Lawrence Farnese’s Senate Bill 646 of the current 2013-2014 Legislative Session. As he points out, many deeply committed couples, for their own personal reasons or for reasons of gender, are not married. However, this does not negate their long-standing commitment to one another, nor the financial burden and stress that can come from this tax in an already emotional and stressful time. Please join me in supporting this legislation. |
Introduced as HB1569