Last Updated 4 days by Amnon J. Jobi | Amnon Front Page
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Governor Mike Braun signed an executive order Monday aimed at removing “marriage penalties,” or policies that disincentivize marriage.
Executive Order 25-21 will ensure that Indiana’s tax laws and policies are “providing an incentive for Hoosiers to build strong families, rather than getting the in the way,” according to Gov. Braun.
“Marriage is the fundamental cornerstone of strong families and strong communities, and we need to make sure Indiana’s tax and benefits systems aren’t penalizing Hoosiers for getting married,” Braun said in a release.
Indiana’s tax system currently includes policies that can disadvantage married couples, such as exemption caps that remain the same for single and married filing jointly taxpayers.
For example, a single filer can deduct up to $3,000 in rent, but a married couple filing jointly also gets only $3,000—not double. Also, a single filer and a married couple get the same $1,500 max credit on 529 contributions.
The Indiana Department of Revenue and all executive state agencies that administer welfare or benefit programs to evaluate and identify laws or policies that disadvantage married couples.
Agencies are required to provide detailed reports by July 1, 2025, for tax policies and by July 1, 2026, for benefit programs, with recommended changes to remove marriage penalties.