[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3524 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3524

  To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the standard 
                      deduction for joint filers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 19, 1998

Mr. McDermott (for himself, Mr. Kleczka, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Matsui, Mr. 
Neal of Massachusetts, and Mrs. Kennelly of Connecticut) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the standard 
                      deduction for joint filers.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. INCREASE OF STANDARD DEDUCTION FOR JOINT RETURNS TO END 
              MARRIAGE PENALTY.

    (a) In General.--Paragraph (2) of section 63(c) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to basic standard deduction) is amended 
to read as follows:
            ``(2) Basic standard deduction.--For purposes of paragraph 
        (1), the basic standard deduction is--
                    ``(A) $8,500 in the case of--
                            ``(i) a joint return, or
                            ``(ii) a surviving spouse (as defined in 
                        section 2(a)),
                    ``(B) $6,250 in the case of a head of household (as 
                defined in section 2(b)),
                    ``(C) $4,250 in the case of an individual who is 
                not married and who is not a surviving spouse or head 
                of household, or
                    ``(D) $4,250 in the case of a married individual 
                filing a separate return.''
    (b) Inflation Adjustment.--Paragraph (4) of section 63(c) of such 
Code is amended to read as follows:
            ``(4) Adjustments for inflation.--
                    ``(A) Adjustment of basic standard deduction.--In 
                the case of any taxable year beginning in a calendar 
                year after 1998, each dollar amount contained in 
                paragraph (2) shall be increased by an amount equal 
                to--
                            ``(i) such dollar amount, multiplied by
                            ``(ii) the cost-of-living adjustment 
                        determined under section 1(f)(3) for the 
                        calendar year in which the taxable year begins 
                        by substituting `calendar year 1997' for 
                        `calendar year 1992' in subparagraph (B) 
                        thereof.
                    ``(B) Adjustment of other amounts.--In the case of 
                any taxable year beginning in a calendar year after 
                1988, each dollar amount contained in paragraph (5)(A) 
                or subsection (f) shall be increased by an amount equal 
                to--
                            ``(i) such dollar amount, multiplied by
                            ``(ii) the cost-of-living adjustment 
                        determined under section 1(f)(3) for the 
                        calendar year in which the taxable year begins 
                        by substituting `calendar year 1987' for 
                        `calendar year 1992' in subparagraph (B) 
                        thereof.''
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1997.
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