Domestic Partnership Taxes
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This is a label that often includes children, and spouses, real people. While many people associate the "label" of Domestic Partner as that of one synonymous with gay and lesbian individuals, it can, and often includes heterosexual couples as well. I mean after-all, why should someone be "forced" into a legal agreement only just to "call" yourself "married"?
Earlier this year, my company who went through a review and audit of our company health care plan found my spouse and myself in a "domestic partnership" rather then marriage. Indeed, there is no legal agreement between the two of us, but we do consider ourselves "married". We have two kids, a mortgage, and a dumb Labrador retriever who loves table scraps, all in all- we're pretty normal, and it's no big deal to us, so why should it be to my employer? Except it isn't.
My family is entitled to the same great health-care plan under the classification of "Domestic Partnership", as my married co-workers, and this in turn allows my company to brag, and proudly say they're a diverse company, but what no one is going to tell you is how much more this "label" is going to cost you. At first glance, it appears that a health care premium is the exact same for a married family, as it is for individuals who get classified as a "domestic partnership." But, that's where it ends. The problem is this. As Married, you receive the health-care as a "benefit", as a domestic partner you receive health care as "income". The company then subsequently tosses up there hands and says "there's nothing they can do" when you get the tab for this "income on your taxes. Yes, you know that 10,000 dollars that my supposed company is paying for the health care? Well, according to them, and the US Government, I am now responsible for that money as if I had handed me a pile of money and said "Go Wild". In fact, it's as though I earned that money on my paycheck. Yes that's right, I'm being taxed on my company's proportion of their health-care contribution, while my married counterpart isn't.
For those of you with a financial buffer, being taxed an addition 10 G's may not seem like a financial burden, but when your annual salary is only about 20,000 a year, you can clearly see that this asinine situation leaves me punished, and penalized merely because of my relationship.
According to a recent report by the Center for American Progress, those who fall into the classification of "Domestic Partnership" will be taxed on average $1069 more then their "Married" counterparts. Now that's gay.
Now certainly my "Diverse" and "Friendly" employer, could step up to the plate, and offer to pay these taxes, or they could lobby congress and be good stewards to their employees. After all, a few billion dollar "diverse" companies complaining to congress could certainly make some waves, but why would they? They're assuming our stupidity. They'll use excuses such as "Most companies don't even extend benefits to unmarried partners of employees", but let be honest; they don't want it to change. The less people that can afford the health care, means less expense to them, and that's the bottom line.
Look, I don't want some unfair advantage I just want equal taxes and equal benefits that allow me to put food on the table to my children, and also have health care for when they're sick? Is that too much to ask? If American can base their Independence on taxed tea, surely I can claim foul in the year 2007 when I'm the victim of taxation without medication?
We are a country of separationists. The great excluders. In fact I'm certain a good many of you reading this see nothing wrong with treating one group different then another. After all if it doesn't effect me, then it's not important. Hopefully one day, we can look back and say that we were barbaric and neanderthals. On that day we will look back at history and be thankful that indeed "We" weren't that black slave, or that Jew in Germany, or that witch being burned at the stake. Only then will we realize how much we as a society really care for one another.
