[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 31 (Monday, February 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E306]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  THE SENIORS' TAX SIMPLIFICATION ACT

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                          HON. ADAM H. PUTNAM

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 23, 2009

  Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, on January 27, 2009, I introduced H.R. 
728, the Seniors' Tax Simplification Act, legislation that would allow 
our nation's senior citizens to file their federal income taxes on a 
new and simplified Form 1040S. This new form would capture sources of 
income commonly reported by seniors, including social security 
benefits, distributions from qualified retirement plans, annuities or 
other deferred payment arrangements, interest and dividends, and 
capital gains and losses.
  Currently, individuals who are age 65 or over are prohibited from 
using Form 1040EZ. Seniors that do not qualify for the shorter Form 
1040A, fill out a longer, more complicated Form 1040 that deals with 
schedules, and includes much that is simply not pertinent to seniors' 
taxable situations.
  In 2004, the House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation 
by a recorded vote to create Form 1040S. However, the Senate failed to 
consider the legislation and the IRS has since halted their efforts to 
develop such a form even though their estimates showed that as many as 
11 million seniors could benefit from such a simplified tax form in the 
first year it is made available.
  The U.S. Census Bureau projects in 2030, when all of the baby boomers 
will be 65 and over, that nearly one in five U.S. residents is expected 
to be 65 and older. This age group is projected to increase to 88.5 
million in 2050, more than doubling the number in 2008, which was 38.7 
million.
  Further, in Florida alone, the 65 and over population represent over 
3.3 million residents--that's 17.4 percent of the state's total 
population. Recent estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau project this 
population will only continue to grow. By 2025, Florida's 65 and over 
population is projected to reach close to 5.5 million residents. This 
represents a 107.3 percent increase from 1995 to 2025.
  The 60 Plus Association has also endorsed this important legislation 
stating the ``senior-friendly proposal would dramatically simplify the 
federal income tax filing process for millions of our nation's senior 
citizens.''
  It is clear that millions stand to benefit from the Seniors' Tax 
Simplification Act, and countless hours of time and energy could be 
saved not fretting over complex and often confusing tax forms. I 
encourage my colleagues to support our nation's seniors and cosponsor 
this long overdue legislation.

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