Families Of September 11th Victims Seek Tax Relief Soon

by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington

10 December 2001

Relatives of those killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks travelled to Washington last week in an attempt to speed the progess of the stalled economic stimulus and tax relief bill.

The families of the victims hoped to force passage of the Senate's broader version of the stimulus bill before Congress breaks for Christmas, arguing that in many cases the victims were the primary providers for households which have now been left in limbo.

'We all came here today with one thing in mind,' explained Nikki Stern of New Jersey, whose husband was killed in the World Trade Center. 'We want some assurance, we want some ease, we want some pressure taken away from us.'

Although both versions of the disputed relief bill would exempt the income of the September 11th victims from federal taxes for this and last year, and any federal disaster benefits would be tax free, there are several areas of disagreement between Democrats and Republicans, and it is these which have hampered the progress of the bill.

Among these are the extension of relief to payroll taxes, which has been resisted by House Republican leaders, and the tax-free status of disaster benefits from the Red Cross and other charities, which some believe may be under threat if the families of the victims cannot prove that they need the money.

However, following the visits from bereaved relatives, House Republican leaders indicated that they would likely take up a modified version of the bill on Tuesday, one that is closer to the broad approach of the Senate.

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