Separate But Equal – Yeah Right!

We have heard over and over again that Civil Union is equal to marriage, well tell that to H&R Block. There is an article in this morning’s Hartford Courant about how H&B Block treats married couples different from civil union couples. The married couple can do their taxes on line, but the civil union couple have to go into the office to have their taxes done. Can you say discrimination?

Same-Sex Couple Blocked By H & R
Tax Preparer Says Its Computer Software Can't Support Civil-Union Returns
By MARK PAZNIOKAS | Courant Staff Writer
March 26, 2008

After 23 months of same-sex, civil-union bliss, Jason Smith and Settimio Pisu had grown accustomed to some institutions being not quite ready for the concept of gay spouses.
There was that long day at the DMV trying to jointly register a car, which ended pleasantly enough with an apology from a clerk.
And don't even ask the Guilford couple about their adoption stories.
Still, Smith and Pisu weren't ready for the online message that popped up as they tried to file their taxes on H&R Block's website: "We don't support Connecticut Civil Union returns." …

… Shock melted into annoyance after he concluded that H&R Block meant that its software, not politics, keeps it from supporting civil-union returns.
The giant tax preparer was willing to prepare the couple's taxes at one of its offices for $199.80 — $155 more than the online price…

…H&R Block has managed to rewrite its software to handle gay marriages in Massachusetts, but not so with civil unions in Connecticut or Vermont, Smith said.
"It's really not that complicated," Smith said.
TurboTax has figured it out, he said.
"When you go through their website, not only do they support the return, they tell you it's cheaper to buy" the software, rather than to file online, Smith said.
The reason is that TurboTax charges online for each return, and gay couples in civil unions cannot file joint federal returns.
"They are actually looking out for you and trying to save you money," Smith said. "That's a completely perfect response."

The paper has a poll on the article and when I looked the vote the results were…
Is H&R Block discriminating by not allowing gay couples in civil unions to file their taxes online?
Yes (150 responses)46.0%
No (176 responses)54.0%
* 326 total responses

What get my goat is the 54% of the people do not see this as discriminatory. What is it then? When they do not want to offer the same service to a homosexual couple that they offer to a heterosexual couple (I can understand charging more because there are more forms to fill out.)? It is not as if the law was just passed, it was passed over a year ago and Vermont had civil unions even longer.