Negative Social and Economic Effects of the Marriage Penalty Tax on Women and Society

Abstract

For decades the marriage penalty tax (MPT) has been debated, reduced, increased, and muddled in the US tax system. Research shows that the MPT negatively affects marital stability. This study examines the impact on the MPT of the new tax law, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. While the MPT was greatly reduced by the 2017 Act, notably regarding tax rates, the MPT, as connected to the earned income tax credit, continues to have a major detrimental impact on low to moderate income couples, discouraging marriage and thereby having particularly negative effects on them and their children.