Collin County Future Mobility Oct 2023

Sam Johnson hosts wrongful convictions tax relief act conference

by | Jan 12, 2016 | Latest

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This afternoon U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (TX-03) hosted a press conference in Washington, D.C. to build public awareness about his Wrongful Convictions Tax Relief Act, including the December 2016 retroactive relief deadline.

The Wrongful Convictions Tax Relief Act, which was signed into law December 18, 2015, allows wrongfully convicted individuals to keep their restitution tax free. It is supported by conservative groups including FreedomWorks and Americans for Tax Reform.

During the press event, Johnson also announced that today he is sending, along with Congressman John Larson (CT-01), a letter to Commissioner John Koskinen to ensure the IRS implements the new law without delay.

“As a 29-year Air Force veteran who spent nearly seven years as a POW in the infamous Hanoi Hilton, I understand what it means to have years of your life robbed from you,” said Johnson. “When I learned that folks who had been wrongfully imprisoned were suffering the additional injustice of having to pay the IRS taxes on their restitution, I wanted to do something about it. What’s so great about the Wrongful Convictions Tax Relief Act is that it is also retroactive – which is a pretty rare thing in the tax world. But that’s where today’s event comes into play. You see, folks only have until December of this year to get their money back from the IRS. That’s why we MUST hold the IRS’s feet to the fire. Our letter to the Commissioner today seeks details about how this agency is going to go about implementing this law. We are also asking for details about the Commissioner’s plans to make sure that wrongfully convicted individuals are aware of the deadline for retroactive relief as soon as possible. His deadline is February 1st, and you can rest assured I’ll be holding him to it.”

The full text of the letter is below:

“Dear Commissioner Koskinen:

“The recently enacted Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (Division Q of H.R. 2029) includes our bill, the Wrongful Convictions Tax Relief Act (Section 304 of H.R. 2029), which would prohibit the taxation of civil damages, restitution, or other monetary award provided to those who have been wrongfully imprisoned. This victory is long overdue and much deserved for these individuals. No longer will the wrongfully imprisoned have to suffer the additional injustice of paying taxes on compensation intended to help make them financially whole.

“As important as it was for this bill to become law, it is just as important that the IRS implement the legislation without delay. Of particular importance is the waiver of limitations provision. This provision allows for those who have been wrongfully imprisoned and who ordinarily cannot file for tax refunds due to the expiration of the statute of limitations to have the opportunity to do so. This is only right and fair. However, given that this opportunity is only available for just one year from the date of enactment, we would like the IRS to respond to the following questions by February 1, 2016:

1. How will the IRS implement the waiver of limitations?
2. How long will it take the IRS to implement the waiver of limitations?
3. How will the IRS communicate the waiver of limitations so as to enable all interested and eligible individuals the opportunity to take advantage of this one-time retroactive relief?

“And more generally:

4. How will the IRS communicate the overall change in law?
5. How long will it take the IRS to implement the change in law?

“With the tax filing season fast approaching, we strongly encourage the IRS to expeditiously implement this legislation. Those who have been wrongfully imprisoned should not have to wait a day more than absolutely necessary to benefit. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter.”

State Fair of Texas 2023 SFOT

0 Comments

Public Notice - Subscribe

Related News

East stumbles in third quarter in loss to Hebron 

East stumbles in third quarter in loss to Hebron 

Ezra O'Neal III (88) shown here against Plano Sept. 22, had a kickoff return for a touchdown to start the 2nd half at Hebron CARROLLTON – For a moment, the Plano East Panthers took a lead to start the second half. Ezra O’Neal III took the second half's opening kickoff...

read more
Plans for WISD bond campaign presented

Plans for WISD bond campaign presented

The second regular trustee meeting of the school year on Sept. 18 had several recognitions, information on a new initiative, and a Bond 2023 update. Recognitions included the Wylie High School Theatre team for receiving an award of distinction by the Texas Education...

read more
Natural gas charges going up

Natural gas charges going up

Murphy residents will pay more for natural gas next month, but not as much as the company wanted, Finance Director Berna Fitzpatrick-Walker reported. The Murphy City Council unanimously approved an average monthly increase of $6.47 or 7.31% for Atmos Energy service....

read more
Mayor delivers State of City to chamber

Mayor delivers State of City to chamber

Is your name Murphy? If so, the Texas city would love for you to visit on St. Patrick’s Day, 2024, Mayor Scott Bradley said. The mayor delivered a “State of the City” report to the Murphy Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, Sept. 19, and discussed plans to set a Guinness...

read more
PESH stops Plano to secure win

PESH stops Plano to secure win

MURPHY – In the final minute of a back-and-forth Friday night at Kimbrough Stadium, Plano had the ball with a chance to tie or win against Plano East. The Panthers (3-1, 1-0 in 6-6A) had lost its last seven games against their crosstown rivals. The Wildcats (2-2, 0-1...

read more
Natural gas charges going up

Natural gas charges going up

The Murphy City Council has unanimously approved an average monthly increase of $6.47 or 7.31% for residential Atmos Energy service. The higher rate was negotiated by Atmos and the Atmos Cities Steering Committee (ACSC) representing Murphy and 181 other...

read more
New ammo for fentanyl battle

New ammo for fentanyl battle

Fentanyl poisoning continues to claim a growing percentage of drug deaths in the state, according to the Texas Health Data dashboard published online by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). As of Aug. 25, 45.39% of all drug deaths were attributed to...

read more
Events support scholarship foundation

Events support scholarship foundation

There’s a deep satisfaction in seeing how far you can shoot a pumpkin from a giant slingshot. And there’s even more satisfaction if you can hit something with it. Well, for $5 a pumpkin you can try your luck at Punkin’ Chunkin’ at the annual Maize Days festival,...

read more
Public Notice - Subscribe