Taxing Gay Couples

Here's a wrinkle to the same-sex marriage debate I admit I hadn't thought of before reading about it in the Hartford Courant's Capitol Watch blog. Apparently, some automated tax preparation software doesn't know what to do when gay couples file jointly.

H&R Block's Web site says, "We don't support Connecticut Civil Union returns." That led the ACLU to send the company a warning that it's practicing discrimination under that state's laws.

It turns out that it's the software, not the company, that doesn't support civil unions. H&R Block will do the taxes who show up at its offices, but that costs $155 more than doing it online.

TurboTax, meanwhile, will work just fine for gay couples who are married, in civil unions, or in registered domestic partnerships.