Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. press release, April 23, 1998

MEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 21093 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 NEWS ADVISORY: CONTACT: Richard Cross April 23, 1998 202-225-3061 EHRLICH SPONSORS LEGISLA TION TO ALLEVIA ТЕ UNFAIR TAX BURDEN ON FORMER SPOUSES Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., (R-MD), inspired by the case of a constituent pursued by the Internal Revenue Service for a substantial tax bill amassed by a former husband, is sponsoring legislation to better protect people unfairly saddled with a current or former spouse’s tax bill. In February 1985, Gretchen Albaugh left her ex-husband after what she has described as an “abusive” marriage. A year later, she states that he coerced her into со his tax return, making her jointly responsible for a tax debt which, including interest and penalties, eventually totaled approximately $29,000. He later remarried and placed his assets in his new wife’s name, thus shielding his wealth from IRS collection actions. Unable to collect the assessed taxes from him, in 1 996 the IRS began targeting Ms. Albaugh for payment. When Ms. Albaugh appealed to the IRS for relief under what are known as the “innocent spouse provisions” of the tax code, the IRS told her she did not qualify. At her request, Congressman Ehrlich contacted the IRS to request that she be granted relief as an innocent spouse, and was informed she did not meet any of the criteria specified under the law. “I view this not as an enforcement problem, but rather as a problem with the tax code