Why do people have to be married to file joint and get tax breaks?

Why can't the government give tax breaks to people who share a home - whether brother and sister, students at school, senior citizens, husband and wife, etc. What difference does it make if they're married or not to get a break on their taxes? Why can't they get a tax break by filing as a shared household? Wouldn't this make more sense?Why do people have to be married to file joint and get tax breaks?
Neither makes more sense. It's just an out-and-out choice. It promotes marriage, which strengthens society, so it's a valid government function. Similar arguments could be made for your proposal, but they haven't had political traction.Why do people have to be married to file joint and get tax breaks?
Why should people who are not married and living in the same house get a tax break?





What exactly does that do for the people at large that would make me think it's OK for you to pay less than me?





A married couple raising children? That I understand.


There should be tax incentive for that for a lifetime.
Actually until 2001 you got Penalized for filing a joint return!!!!! Bush made it equal. It used to be called the ';Marriage Tax Penalty';....


Perhaps a quick review of the Tax Code from 1999 and 2006 would enlighten you.


www.irs.gov is a good place to start.


If some one is telling you that, get a NEW CPA Fast!!!


Now ';Married People'; get the SAME deductions as single filers.
Of course it would, which is why we don't do it. Something about the sanctity of marriage or some crap like that... like the divorce rate isn't 50% in this country.
It is Social Engineering- the government wants to encourage people to get married. Most people accept that a marriage is the bedrock of Family and the Family is the bedrock of society.
You never heard of the ';marriage penalty';?