H.R. 162 -
Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act

Here's a practical way to directly help senior Americans. The Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act, H.R. 162 would eliminate income taxes on Social Security benefits.

Congressman Ron Paul reintroduced this legislation on January 6, 2009, for himself and Representatives Roscoe Bartlett and Scott Garrett.

The following is his press release on introducing this legislation in the 109th Congress:

Stop Taxing Social Security!

Washington, DC: Congressman Ron Paul recently introduced legislation that would eliminate income taxes on Social Security benefits, giving millions of older Americans a boost in their retirement income and ending an unjust form of double taxation. Paul introduced the "Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act" immediately after the new Congress convened last week.

"Many Americans don't realize that Social Security benefits were not taxed until the 1980s," Paul stated. "When the program was created in the 1930s, Congress never intended to treat Social Security benefits as taxable income. Those benefits are funded by taxes in the first place, so it's nonsensical to tax them as ordinary income to raise revenue. The whole process is nothing more than a circular subterfuge that allows Congress to reduce Social Security benefits by stealth. Nobody in Congress claims they want to reduce benefits, but that's exactly what happens when benefits are taxed."

Under Paul's legislation, Social Security benefits would not be classified as taxable income nor reported on an individual's tax return. This is consistent with the ostensible purpose of the system, which is to provide a pension in exchange for a lifetime of payroll tax payments.
January 13, 2005

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard (202) 225-3121 and ask for your member of Congress. Urge your U.S. Representative to become a co-sponsor of H.R. 162. Call your representative today!

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