Coleman Legislation Allows for Tax Check Off for Reservists

COLEMAN LEGISLATION ALLOWS FOR TAX CHECK OFF FOR RESERVISTS

Coleman says "…national security and the War on Terror dictate greater support for Reservists and National Guard"

Washington, DC- Senator Norm Coleman said today that legislation he introduced, the "Voluntary Support for Reservists and National Guard Members Act", should be taken up by Congress to address growing concerns about enlistment and reenlistment among members of the nation's military.

Coleman's legislation would allow taxpayers to designate a portion of their return to supplement the reduced incomes of military reservists called up for active duty.

"We're in the middle of a War on Terror across the world, and national security and this war dictate greater support for reservists and the National Guard," said Coleman. "The way we support those who defend our freedom will have a marked impact on our future. Recent new stories that outline concerns about the decisions of those currently in the military, as well as those considering enlisting, underscore the need for this critically important legislation."

Reservists and National Guard members called up for active duty often experience a significant reduction in income. Coleman's legislation would create a "check off" on federal tax return forms that would allow filers, if they so choose, to designate a portion of their return to a special federal fund that would make payments to military reservists on active duty that experienced reductions in annual income as a result of their service. Taxpayer participation would be purely voluntarily.

"We ask a lot of the brave men and women of the military reserves called up to defend freedom," Coleman said. "While on active duty, they put their lives on the line and are away from their families often for months at a time. While we can never adequately express our appreciation for those extraordinary sacrifices, my legislation will allow taxpayers a convenient way to help lessen the financial burden military reservists are also often asked to bear."