Military Spouse Scholarship Program & Education Benefits
Posts tagged Military Spouse Residency Relief Act
Military Spouse Residency Relief Act
Aug 9th
Military Spouse Residency Relief Act
The 2009 Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, signed into law on November 11, 2009, is intended to lessen the state income tax filing burden on military families.
The new law says the non-military spouse can now retain the same home state of record/state of residence as the military spouse, as long as the non-military spouse’s sole reason for leaving that state was due to a permanent change of station (PCS) for the military spouse. For more details see Military Spouse Residency Relief Act Signed by President Obama, Aids Military Spouses, or contact your local military legal office.
- The MSRRA changes some basic rules of taxation with respect to military spouses
- 1) earn income from services performed in a State in which the spouse is present with their Service member (SM) pursuant to military orders and
- 2) that State is not the spouse’s domicile (legal residence). Under these conditions, the military spouse generally will not have to pay income taxes to that State. Depending on the laws of the domiciliary State, the spouse may be required to pay income tax to the domiciliary State.
- The law is complicated and fact specific, and because its effect will depend on the interpretations of each of the States, SMs and their spouses are encouraged to seek free, confidential advice from a legal assistance office. Legal assistance offices can be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/content/locator.php . More >
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Congress extended benefits to military spouses
Nov 25th
Good News for Military Spouses,
Spouses of troops may get to change their state residency to that of their military counterpart as President Obama is expected to sign the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act within the next few days.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act as part of the House Suspension Calendar by a unanimous voice vote on Monday, according to a news release from the office of Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock.
“This is fantastic news for our service families worldwide,” Carter said in the news release. “We should have done this long ago, but at least we are now on track to have a new law in 2009.”
It was approved by the U.S. Senate July 23, according to previous Killeen Daily Herald article.
The legislation was put on a fast track for passage into law this year at the request of Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C.
The bill, if signed by President Obama, will allow a military spouse to maintain the same residency as their service member regardless of where they are stationed, Carter’s communication director John Stone said.
The bill will affect where the spouses can vote and obtain their vehicle registration, as well as other residency-based functions.
Service members have had that option for decades, while spouses have not.
For more detail, visit online https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa
Military Spouse Residency Relief Act
Nov 17th
Washington, DC –Tuesday, November 3, 2009. A comprehensive military family legislation, the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (S 475 and HR 1182), which will legally recognize military spouses by providing them the option to claim the same state of domicile as their active duty spouse, passed through the House and Senate with strong bipartisan support, and is now being brought before the President to become a law.
The bill was introduced by Congressman John Carter (R-TX), who represents Fort Hood, the largest military installation in the country. “This is fantastic news for our service families worldwide,” says Carter, who has been pushing the legislation for the last three years.
Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced the companion bill into the Senate, which passed unanimously in August. The legislation will amend the Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act (SCRA) of 1940 allowing military spouses to share a home state with their spouse, the service member.
Currently, military spouses experience impediments in voting and property ownership as well as deterrents in employment and education. The bill offers fair treatment of the military spouse and improves the quality of life for military families by allowing the stability of a single state of domicile to call home.
Over 8,000 military spouses, friends and family members united to support the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Military-Spouses-Residency-Relief-Act/51457362877 They shared their individual stories as they contacted Congressional representatives to ask for support. Initially, Army Spouse, Rebecca Poynter and Navy Spouse, Joanna Williamson, approached Congressman Carter with their request to petition. “It has been a grass roots effort by thousands of spouses across the country, who have campaigned to get this passed, by telling their stories,” explains Poynter.
“The support from Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and the Veterans Service Organizations who testified in our support is greatly appreciated,” said Williamson, “and together we claim this victory for all military families.”
This is exciting news for military spouses and will undoubtedly save us all time and possibly even money.
