With the Supreme Court decision regarding same-sex marriage, changes to the tax code are necessary.

Irvine, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/01/2015 -- On Friday, the Supreme Court of the United States issued an epic 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. The opinion of the court was that it is the legal duty of all states to issue a marriage license to a couple (of legal age) wishing to obtain one, regardless of gender and sexual orientation. The decision, in other words, made same-sex marriage legal on a federal level; states will no longer be able to deny same-sex couples the right to marry – if they do, they'll be in violation of federal law.

With changes in marriage law also comes the necessity of change in U.S. tax law. Senator Ron Wyden, a democrat from Oregon, is making plans to address this need.

Wyden Speaks Out About Changes to Tax Law

Senator Wyden told reporters on Saturday that following the change to federal marriage law, there's "a need for new federal tax and housing laws." For example, his legislation—which will be titled, "The Marriage Equality for all Taxpayers Act," will remove gender-specific language from the tax code. For example, instead of the reading, "husband and wife," the law would need to read, "married couple," or "spouse." Mr. Wyden also told reporters that, "It is high-time that Congress addresses the glaring fact that the tax code is replete with out-of-date references to marriage that no longer reflect the institution of legal marriage." Wyden did not get more specific, saying that he needed to talk with his colleagues first before revealing any other proposed changes to the media at large.

How The New Law May Affect Your Taxes and Your Estate

If you're in a same sex relationship or marriage in California, keep an eye out for Wyden's tax legislation, as it may have a big impact on how you file your taxes in upcoming years. If you have questions about same sex marriage in California and your federal taxes, or how the Supreme Court decision may affect how you plan your estate, make sure you read more about estate planning here: http://www.jgltaxlaw.com/planning.html. Then, contact a tax and estate planning attorney to help you figure out and plan your financial future.

About The Offices of James LeBloch
The Offices of James LeBloch is a professional law corporation that specializes in taxation, trust litigation, business and estate planning, and tax litigation. Located in Irvine, California, we're committed to providing the areas of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego County with solutions to financial legal questions.

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More improper government payments were made in 2014 than they were in any other year.

Irvine, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/14/2015 -- Improper payments—or payments made to families and individuals who don't actually qualify for them—are made by the federal government every year. In 2014, though, the federal government set an all-time record high for improper payments, totally in at $124.7 billion, resulting in a $19 billion increase from the previous year.

Where the Errors Were Made

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the errors occurred in 124 different programs over 22 agencies. However, three programs in particular stood out as the most egregious error-makers: the Department of Health and Human Services' Medicare Fee-for Service program, The Department of Health and Human Services' Medicaid programs, and the Department of the Treasury's Earned Income Tax Credit Program.

The GAO states that these three programs alone accounted for $80.9 billion in improper payments, or 65 percent of the total improper payment amounts made by the government for the fiscal year 2014. The mistakes were most often in regard to tax breaks to non-qualifying families, payments for unnecessary medical procedures, and improperly paid unemployment benefits. Fraud, underpayments, overpayments, and payments made sans proper documentation were all reported.

Committee Meeting Held on How to Reduce Improper Payments

Senator Ron Johnson, a republican from Wisconsin, was quoted by the Huffington Post as saying that the improper government payments were most frustrating as the money was not spent "on securing our borders, on national defense, and it was not spent on contributing to a safety net for those in need." Johnson also stated that the problem was worsening, and had no hopes of improvement without action being taken. As such, a committee meeting was held on Monday March 15, 2015 to address the problem, and the Obama administration has stated that reducing improper payments is a top priority for the executive. In fact, Obama's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes the implementation of programs designed to reduce fraud and abuse in Medicaid, Medicare, and in regards to tax fraud.

Reducing Tax and Payment Errors on a Personal Level

With errors being made on the part of the federal government in regards to improper spending and tax law, and with the prevalence of a number of loopholes in the tax code, effective business and estate planning is essential. Find helpful information about business and estate planning here: http://jgltaxlaw.com/planning.html. To ensure that a business is operating within the law and that errors as serious as the federal government's aren't made, a business and estate planning attorney can help. Reducing tax and payment errors on a personal level is key for avoiding harsh penalties and assuring optimal financial growth.

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