IRS, Treasury will recognize same-sex marriage across state lines WASHINGTON - All legally married same-sex couples will be recognized for federal tax purposes no matter what state they live in, the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department announced Thursday in a change that will affect numerous couples in states that have not permitted gay marriage. The change in policy follows the Supreme Court's decision in June overturning a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act that barred the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages for purposes such as insurance benefits, immigration and tax filings. The new approach "provides access to benefits, responsibilities and protections under federal tax law that all Americans deserve," Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew said in a statement. This ruling also assures legally married same-sex couples that they can move freely throughout the country knowing that their federal filing status will not change. Currently 13 states, including California, and the District of Columbia recognize same-sex marriage. Same-sex couples who were married in one of these jurisdictions or a foreign country but live in a state that does not recognize their marriage will still be able to file federal taxes jointly. The law does not extend to same-sex couples who are in registered domestic partnerships, civil unions or other formal relationships recognized under state laws. The Treasury Department said the ruling would apply for all federal tax purposes, including income, gift and estate taxes, and all federal tax provisions in which marriage is a factor, including filing status, dependency exemptions, employee benefits and individual retirement accounts. Individuals who were in same-sex marriages also now have the option of filing amended tax returns for the last three years to reflect their married status. Advocates of same-sex marriage immediately cheered the decision. "This announcement makes today a day of celebration and relief for married same-sex couples all over America," Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, said in a statement. At long last, the IRS will treat them as what they are: married. GLAAD, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender media advocacy organization, called the ruling a move "one step closer to 'liberty and justice for all.'" "Equal federal tax protections will not only endow legally married same-sex couples with the respect and dignity they deserve," spokesman Wilson Cruz said in a statement, "but will also provide critical financial security for countless loving families." But the new federal tax policy "certainly does not end the complexities that exist because we have a patchwork of marriage laws in this country," said Brian Moulton, legal director of the LGBT rights organization Human Rights Campaign. Same-sex couples living in a jurisdiction that does not recognize their marriage would still have to file any state taxes separately. And the exclusion of domestic partnerships and civil unions from the change should signal to states that those arrangements, "while positive steps for protecting those families, are not equality," Moulton said. "We encourage states that can to finish that journey" toward legalizing same-sex marriage. Beneficiaries of a private Medicare plan will also be able to enter the same nursing home as their same-sex spouses, the Department of Health and Human Services said. "Today's announcement is the first of many steps that we will be taking over the coming months to clarify the effects of the Supreme Court's decision and to ensure that gay and lesbian married couples are treated equally under the law," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said. The Supreme Court's ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act has wide-reaching implications for federal benefits, but individual policies are being clarified by the agencies that administer them. Last month, the Department of Homeland Security announced that U.S. citizens would be able to sponsor their foreign same-sex spouses for green cards. The Social Security Administration has begun offering partner benefits to same-sex couples, but only in jurisdictions where their marriage is recognized. Earlier this week, the Department of Veterans Affairs said that it might not be able to extend spousal support to same-sex couples because a portion of the U.S code governing veterans defines a spouse as a person of the opposite sex.