SCRA Taxation Protections

The new Servicemember's Civil Relief Act (SCRA), formerly the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act, prevents servicemembers from a form of double taxation that can occur when they have a spouse who works and is taxed in a state other than the state in which they maintain their permanent legal residence.

The SCRA will also prevent states from using the income earned by a servicemember in determining the spouse's tax rate when they do not maintain their permanent legal residence in that state.

In addition under certain conditions the SCRA will allow servicemembers to defer owed taxes for up to 180 days after their release from service, if a servicemembers inability to pay their taxes is was caused by military service.