WorldWatcher
Gold Member
If you want to file a joint return, have your IRA passed on to your spouse without the tax burden, have legal recognition as family, and lots of other stuff you need a document accepted by the government as proof of marriage.and we need all that for what?
Those are all government rules. I state. Abolish them all.
Here are a couple of examples of "marriage" in Civil Law, abolish Civil Marriage and here would be no recognition under the law:
1. There would be no transfer of property to a spouse (since there would be no such thing as "spouse" under the law. As such the surviving spouse would be subject to a tax liability upon the transfer of property between people not recognized as legally married.
2. It would eliminate the exemption form the Estate Tax applicable to the sale of a primary home, only Civil Marriage does that. (When a home is sold a single person can claim up to $250,000 in an exemption, $500,000 for a Civilly Married couple. When one spouse dies the surviving spouse can still claim the married exemption for up to two years after the death if the home is sold. No spouse, no exemption - the survivor is taxed like a single person.)
3. No spousal privilege in the case of a criminal prosecution.
4. Since there would be no "spouse", they could not be buried in a National Cemetery next to a spouse who was an honorably serving veteran of the United States.
5. Without the legal recognition of "spouse" there would not be automatic conveyance of parenthood upon the birth of a child.
6. Since there would be no spouse, there would be no establish family relationship recognized under the Family Medical Leave Act so that a person can care for their spouse (or be cared for by them) in times of medical emergency.
7. Since there would be no "spouse", employees would become liable for employer portions of health insurance because there would be no waiving of the tax penalty for employer provided health insurance for a spouse. (For Civily Married couples, the employer portion of Health Insurance is tax free, however on plans where the significant other is not a legal spouse - then the federal government charges that portion as income and is liable for taxation.)
8. No "spouse" means no family relationship under Social Security whereby the surviving spouse can receive benefits at the working spouses rate if higher then their own.
9. No "spouse" means no established a family relationship where a spouse can then sponsor their spouse for immigration purposes.
and to just round it out to 10...
10. No "spouse" means that military members will not be able to draw pay and benefits for dependent spouses: no housing allowance, no medical benefits for the spouse, no accompanied tours where the government provides for travel expenses of the spouse, etc... If there is no Civil Marriage, there is no recognition, and so those things all disappear.
2. It would eliminate the exemption form the Estate Tax applicable to the sale of a primary home, only Civil Marriage does that. (When a home is sold a single person can claim up to $250,000 in an exemption, $500,000 for a Civilly Married couple. When one spouse dies the surviving spouse can still claim the married exemption for up to two years after the death if the home is sold. No spouse, no exemption - the survivor is taxed like a single person.)
3. No spousal privilege in the case of a criminal prosecution.
4. Since there would be no "spouse", they could not be buried in a National Cemetery next to a spouse who was an honorably serving veteran of the United States.
5. Without the legal recognition of "spouse" there would not be automatic conveyance of parenthood upon the birth of a child.
6. Since there would be no spouse, there would be no establish family relationship recognized under the Family Medical Leave Act so that a person can care for their spouse (or be cared for by them) in times of medical emergency.
7. Since there would be no "spouse", employees would become liable for employer portions of health insurance because there would be no waiving of the tax penalty for employer provided health insurance for a spouse. (For Civily Married couples, the employer portion of Health Insurance is tax free, however on plans where the significant other is not a legal spouse - then the federal government charges that portion as income and is liable for taxation.)
8. No "spouse" means no family relationship under Social Security whereby the surviving spouse can receive benefits at the working spouses rate if higher then their own.
9. No "spouse" means no established a family relationship where a spouse can then sponsor their spouse for immigration purposes.
and to just round it out to 10...
10. No "spouse" means that military members will not be able to draw pay and benefits for dependent spouses: no housing allowance, no medical benefits for the spouse, no accompanied tours where the government provides for travel expenses of the spouse, etc... If there is no Civil Marriage, there is no recognition, and so those things all disappear.
Those are a few things that will happen if the government stops recognizing Civil Marriage off the top of my head. I'm sure that idea will win great support amongst the populous.
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