Flickr photo by Jeff BelmonteLegally married same-sex couples are suing the Kansas Department of Revenue over a policy that says they must file separate state tax returns. Kansas does not recognize same-sex marriages, but some other states and the federal government do. Thomas Witt is with the group Equality Kansas. He says married same-sex couples in Kansas could file a single federal return but would be forced to file two separate state returns.
A spokesperson for the Department of Revenue, Jeannine Koranda, would not comment on the litigation because the agency has not been formally served with the suit. She says requiring same-sex couples to file separate returns follows the Kansas Constitution and is similar to rules used in other states that ban same-sex marriages.
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Two married same-sex couples in Kansas are suing the Kansas Department of Revenue over a policy that says they must file separate state tax returns. Kansas does not recognize same-sex marriages, but some other states and the federal government do. Thomas Witt is with the group Equality Kansas. He says legally married same-sex couples in Kansas could file a single federal return but would be forced to file two separate state returns. Witt says that’s unequal treatment, and he argues the Department of Revenue did not have the authority to create a rule saying how same-sex couples should file their taxes.
A spokesperson for the Department of Revenue, Jeannine Koranda, would not comment on the litigation because the agency has not been formally served with the suit. She says requiring same-sex couples to file separate returns follows the Kansas Constitution and is similar to rules used in other states that don’t recognize same-sex marriages.