Sam Johnson Hosts Wrongful Convictions Tax Relief Act Press Conference Sends Deadline to IRS Commissioner

Press Release

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."

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