But you might avoid having to pony up extra tax after the wedding and honeymoon, when money is tight. If you rented before the wedding, seek to own as soon as possible afterward. One advantage of being a couple is that you can pool your income for a down payment. The tax-deductible interest will take a big bite out of taxes. Write your representative Everyone hates the marriage penalty.
Conservatives argue it threatens the institution of marriage.
Liberals contend it is particularly biased against working women and burdensome for lower-income couples. One provision of 1999's Taxpayer Refund and Relief Act would have allowed married couples the option of paying singles' tax rates. At any rate, President Clinton vetoed the bill in September. The provisions for relieving the marriage penalty weren't necessarily the most contentious part of the overall bill, and the issue is likely to come up again in another form this year. Posted February 4, 2000.