IRS Posts Help Video For Married Gays

Via press release from the White House:

The Internal Revenue Service released a new YouTube video designed to provide useful tax tips to married same-sex couples. The new video, less than two minutes long, is available in English, Spanish and American Sign Language and can be accessed via IRS.gov. It joins an array of online products, including answers to frequently-asked questions, designed to help same-sex couples file their federal income tax returns. Following last summer’s Supreme Court decision invalidating a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, the IRS ruled that same-sex couples, legally married in jurisdictions that recognize their marriages, are now treated as married for federal tax purposes. The ruling applies to all federal tax provisions where marriage is a factor, including filing status, claiming personal and dependency exemptions, taking the standard deduction, employee benefits, contributing to an IRA and claiming the earned income tax credit or child tax credit.

BREAKING: Married Gay Couples To Get Federal Tax Status In Every State

Sam Stein reports at Huffington Post:

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Thursday that when it comes to taxes, it will recognize same-sex couples' marriages even if they live in a state that does not. The decision, which was prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, marks the latest political progress for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Prior to this spring, the Internal Revenue Service did not recognize same-sex married couples pursuant to section 3 of DOMA. Once DOMA was overturned in June, the question became: What about same-sex married couples who moved to a state that didn’t recognize their marriage (a couple married in Massachusetts who moved to Arkansas, for example)? Thursday’s ruling by Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew provides a uniform policy for the IRS; the state of celebration -- where the wedding took place -- now trumps the state of residency when it comes to federal tax status for same-sex married couples.

Freedom To Marry head Evan Wolfson reacts:

“This announcement makes today a day of celebration and relief for married same-sex couples all over America. At long last, the IRS will treat them as what they are: married. Freedom to Marry commends the administration’s swift implementation of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling for federal equality in an area that will have a direct, tangible impact on families’ financial health. The fact that this new respect applies only to married couples – not those joined by domestic partnerships or civil unions – highlights the need for an America where everyone can marry the person they love in any state, and have that marriage respected at all levels of government.”

Quote Of The Day - Andrew Sullivan

"Has this president broken the law, lied under oath, or authorized war crimes? Has he traded arms for hostages with Iran? Has he knowingly sent his cabinet out to tell lies about his sex life? Has he sat by idly as an American city was destroyed by a hurricane? Has he started a war with no planning for an occupation? Has he started a war based on a lie, and destroyed the US’ credibility and moral standing while he was at it, leaving nothing but a smoldering and now rekindled civil sectarian war? So far as I can tell, this president has done nothing illegal, unethical or even wrong." - Andrew Sullivan, responding to Peggy Noonan's claim that "We are in the midst of the worst Washington scandal since Watergate."

Limbaugh Cheers NOM's Lawsuit

Obama: IRS Director Has Resigned

NOM Issues Money Beg On IRS Claim

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"Dear Marriage Supporter, Of all the scandals plaguing the Obama administration this week, the revelation that the Internal Revenue Service targeted Tea Party and conservative groups for harassment during the last Presidential election is perhaps the most shocking. But it pales in comparison to what we have been attempting to expose for over a year: that the IRS is also guilty of leaking our confidential tax return to our opponents at the Human Rights Campaign! Now that the eyes of the nation are fixed on this exploding IRS scandal, this is our opportunity to expose the truth! That's why I'm asking you to make an immediate gift of $35, $50 or $100 to help us call on Congress to investigate the IRS." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, ignoring the statement of his own group's co-founder.

Maggie Gallagher: The IRS Got Tricked Into Leaking NOM's Tax Return

"The IRS is claiming — and I think it is plausible — that low-level employees found a clever way to use their low-level job to influence (they hoped) a U.S. election. Have they been identified and fired? Because otherwise this becomes no longer a low-level problem. (You may recall that a low-level employee also released NOM’s private tax-return information to a guy claiming to be a NOM employee, who then posted it on the Internet.)" - Maggie Gallagher, writing for the National Review four days before NOM announced its lawsuit.  If NOM's own co-founder admits that the IRS didn't release the return on purpose, their lawsuit is laughable.

Family Research Council: Abolish The IRS

From Family Research Council's Facebook page: "After multiple administrations have used the IRS to investigate and punish opponents, isn't it time to reconsider abolishing the IRS?"

NOM: We're Suing The IRS

"The very core of our ordered society has been shaken by this political roughing-up of nonprofits by the IRS. As a constitutional law scholar I can tell you that no nonprofit should ever have to experience this kind of retaliation. I am pleased to announce that the excellent attorneys at ActRight Legal Foundation have identified a strong legal strategy that should ultimately hold the IRS accountable and result in lasting change inside of the IRS." - NOM chairman John Eastman, announcing a lawsuit over their claim that the IRS leaked their 2008 return to the Human Rights Campaign last year.  ActRight was founded by Brian Brown.

NARTH Loses Tax Exempt Status

Warren Throckmorton reports:

In September 2012, the tax exempt status of the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) was revoked due to failure to file Form 990 for three consecutive years. The notice of revocation was yesterday according to the IRS website. NARTH’s website advises prospective donors that their donations will be tax deductible but it appears such deductions after September 15, 2012 may not be allowed. It is difficult to know what this means. NARTH has never been a wealthy organization and conference attendance has declined in recent years.

NARTH is possibly the most vile of all anti-gay hate groups and is responsible for spreading the lie that gay men die 20 years early.  The group was co-founded by Charles Socarides, father of gay rights activist and former Clinton White House aide Richard Socarides.

Atheist Group Files IRS Complaint Against Billy Graham Over Political Ads

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has filed an IRS complaint against Billy Graham's organization after the elderly evangelical published several full-page newspaper ads urging followers to vote for "Biblical values."

"BGEA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has run full-page ads publicizing Billy Graham's call for the electorate to 'vote biblical values,'" said FFRF in a statement last week. "The ads have appeared in several 'swing state' newspapers in preparation for tomorrow's heated presidential election. Throughout the month of October, BGEA published articles favorable to Romney, which included a statement by Billy Graham." Brent Rinehart of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association provided The Christian Post with an official statement regarding the "Biblical Values" ad campaign. "The ads intentionally do not mention any candidate, political party, or contest, urging instead for readers to cast votes for candidates-at all levels-based on their support for biblical values," reads the statement in part.

Before the election a large coalition of Christian pastors purposely taunted the IRS by making political speeches from their podiums in which they did name candidates and parties. (Guess which ones?) The pastors are hoping to goad the IRS into finally taking the legal action that the Christian right believes will result in the end of the ban on political speech by churches.

Pastors Taunt IRS On Political Speech

"Some Americans could use a sermon on politics -- and yesterday, they got one! More than 1,400 pastors joined Pulpit Freedom Sunday, challenging the IRS's rules on what churches can and can't say about elections. The project, part of Alliance Defending Freedom's outreach, was first introduced to FRC's pastors network in 2008. Since then, the number of churches involved has absolutely exploded, making yesterday's event the most successful yet. ADF launched the initiative in hopes of challenging a 1954 tax code called the Johnson Amendment, which bans tax-exempt organizations from making political endorsements. 'The purpose is to make sure that the pastor and not the IRS decides what is said from the pulpit,' said ADF's Erik Stanley. If the IRS does take action on the thousands of recorded sermons that will be flooding its offices from yesterday, one thing's for sure. ADF will be ready!" - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, via press release.

October 7th: Pulpit Freedom Sunday

The anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund has organized the second annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday.

About 1,000 pastors will challenge the IRS in October by deliberately preaching politics ahead of the presidential election despite a federal ban on endorsements from the pulpit. The group, Alliance Defending Freedom, hopes that the bold move will prompt the IRS to enforce a 1954 tax code amendment that prohibits tax-exempt organizations such as churches from making political endorsements. The group believes the law violates the First Amendment. The purpose is to allow the pastor, not the IRS, to decide what is said from the pulpit. The pastors will preach sermons that talk about the candidates and then make a recommendation. The sermons will be recorded and sent to the IRS. The IRS indicates that churches will lose their tax-exempt status if they preach politics. The group hopes that the IRS will do what they have threatened so they can challenge them in court.

House GOP Introduces Bill To Prevent The IRS From Funding Obamacare

They're always looking for an angle.

The House as early as next week will pass legislation prohibiting the IRS from receiving any money from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to implement the 2010 healthcare reform law. Passage of the financial services spending bill is especially timely in light of last week's Supreme Court ruling that penalties the government can impose under the law against people who refuse to buy health insurance can be seen as a tax, because it is enforced like a tax. The bill would have to get through the Senate and be signed by President Obama to become law.

Brian Brown: The IRS Leaked Our Return

"The American people are entitled to know how a confidential tax return containing private donor information filed exclusively with the Internal Revenue Service has been given to our political opponents whose leader also happens to be co-chairing President Obama's reelection committee. It is shocking that a political ally of President Obama's would come to possess and then publicly release a confidential tax return that came directly from the Internal Revenue Service. We demand to know who is responsible for this criminal act and what the Administration is going to do to get to the bottom of it." - NOM president Brian Brown, claiming the somebody inside the IRS leaked their return.

October 2nd: Hundreds Of Christian Pastors To Defy IRS Laws On Politics

Hundreds of Christian pastors plan to spend next Sunday's sermon campaigning for a specific political candidate, a violation of IRS rules exacted during the Johnson administration.

Porno Pete: No Longer Tax Exempt

Ex-Gay Watch reports today that Peter LaBarbera's SPLC-certified hate group, Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH), lost its tax-exempt status in 2010. Yanked by the IRS!

According to the IRS, the tax-exempt status of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) was revoked on 5/10/2010 (PDF). The reason for this action is listed by the reporting organization Guidestar as a “failure to file a Form 990, 990-EZ, 990-N, or 990-PF for 3 consecutive years.” These forms are required of legitimate non-profit organizations for review by the IRS and the public. While the current incarnation of AFTAH appears to have been active since 2006, we found only one form 990-EZ on file — for the year 2009 (PDF). In this, total receipts are listed as $110.000, out of which Peter LaBarbera received a salary of $75,000. For perspective, this is approximately the same salary plus benefits claimed by Exodus president Alan Chambers. Exodus lists eleven employees and a million dollar budget.

Ex-Gay Watch notes that AFTAH's "about" page STILL CLAIMS that donations are tax-exempt. (See the screenshot below.) They add: "Thousands of organizations exist which claim that homosexuality is a sin or otherwise immoral, only eighteen are listed as true hate groups by the SPLC. AFTAH is one of them."

MSNBC On "Refuse To Lie" Campaign

You have to wonder how much editorial control openly gay MSNBC midday anchor Thomas Roberts has, as it seems he rarely misses an important LGBT story.

IRS Ombudsman Predicts No Penalties For Married Gay Couples Filing Joint Returns

The anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund is quite unhappy with the IRS ombudsman who says that married gay couples can expect little retribution for filing joint returns.

Nina E. Olson, the national taxpayer advocate who acts as an ombudsman for the I.R.S., acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding federal taxation of same-gender spouses in an annual report to Congress. In the report, she said that taxpayers may take a filing position without penalty if there is “substantial authority” to do so, such as a court case that hasn’t been overruled by the United States Court of Appeals. And there happen to be two such cases, which are currently on appeal.

Last week the Refuse To Lie campaign launched with the warning for gay couples to seriously consider the possible ramifications.

HRC & Courage Campaign To File Joint IRS Complaint Against NOM's Ruth Institute

The Human Rights Campaign and the Courage Campaign announced today that they intend to file an IRS complaint against the Ruth Institute, which is an arm of the National Organization for Marriage. The complaint demands that the IRS "revoke the Ruth Institute’s tax-exempt status and seek an injunction to prevent future violations by either the Ruth Institute or the NOM Education Fund." View the complaint here (PDF). Via press release:

The complaint makes clear the Ruth Institute “has repeatedly and flagrantly violated the political campaign activity prohibition of section 501(c) (3) by intervening and participating in multiple candidate campaigns. In the past year Ruth Institute resources have illegally been used to advocate for a U.S. Senate candidate as well as local and statewide judicial candidates.” HRC and the Courage Campaign cite the repeated involvement of the Ruth Institute in Carly Fiorina’s Senate race and in judicial elections in California and Iowa as clear violations of federal law. “The evidence that the Ruth Institute and the NOM Education Fund repeatedly stepped over the line into illegal activity is indisputable,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Even fringe groups like NOM, its associates, and its affiliate groups must abide by federal law. Is the Ruth Institute nothing more than a front and funnel for NOM's political activities? We trust the IRS can unveil the truth."

“Time and again, NOM has shown itself as a radical extremist group bent on attacking families and undermining election laws,” said Courage Campaign Chairman and Founder Rick Jacobs. “By openly flouting IRS regulations governing charities, NOM is effectively forcing taxpayers to subsidize its political activities. This is not just the height of arrogance, it’s against the law.” Pursuant to the federal tax code, as a charitable organization, the Ruth Institute may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates. Violation of this prohibition can result in stiff penalties against the organization and its officials as well as potential revocation of its tax exempt status by IRS.