A tax preparer is defending herself from an onslaught of attacks after she refused to do a married lesbian couple's taxes in Indiana because they planned to file their return jointly.
Bailey and Samantha Brazzel spoke with NBC affiliate WTHR in Russiaville, Indiana and said the woman who has done their taxes in the past would not handle their 2018 return after the pair got married last summer.
"We went in and sat down like we always would and [tax preparer Nancy Fivecoate] said, 'How are you filing this year?' and I said 'married joint,' and that's when it went downhill," Bailey Brazzel said.
Fivecoate, who owns a tax preparation business in the town of roughly 1,100 that is just over an hour north of Indianapolis, said she turned away the couple because they were married. She is now facing fierce criticism online.
"I have prepared [Bailey Brazzel's] taxes for several years," Fivecoate said in a lengthy statement shared with NBC. "This year she came in with her wife, and I declined to prepare the taxes because of my religious beliefs.
"I am a Christian and I believe marriage is between one man and one woman. I was very respectful to them. I told them where I thought she might be able to get her taxes prepared."
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8 comments:
Good!
A little push back doesn't hurt anything.
Could have worse. She could have put on a MAGA hat, put a noose around their neck, poured bleach on their heads and used gay slurs....so, this turned out pretty good. No, she only referred them to someone else.
But they will sue, and maybe win. A shame-a private business owner should have the right to refuse service. If a married man and woman came into a lesbian tax preparer and they said "sorry I only prepare taxes for gay couples" would people get all bent out of shape?
I'd have taken their money. They've been mowing the lawn anyway, what's the difference? I guess she missed the part of the Bible about that.
This is stupid.
If you do taxes for the public, then you do taxes for the public. If you have a business that serves the public, you serve the public. If you don't want to serve the public, FINE... you can form a club that only caters to members.
If your religion says don't get gay married, then YOU can exercise your religious freedom and not get gay married.
Religious liberty/freedom is NOT you imposing your religious views on other.
Refusing a couple that is legally married service is discrimination, and probably illegal.. and it is not you exercising your religious freedom.
This is so simple and so cut and dry I can't understand how so many people get this wrong.
12:24 One question: Do restaurants also have the right to ban Trump supporters? Or anyone wearing a MAGA hat?
Happens more frequently than CPA's refusing to do taxes, but see what makes the news.
As you put it: "This is so simple and so cut and dry, I can't understand how so many people get this wrong."
I don't blame them for refusing to do their taxes. I wouldn't either.
@ February 21, 2019 at 1:29 PM
I think that's a fair questions. Legally, yes, in all States. And legally, I think the CPA or any business can discriminate against gays, depending on where they live.
Are businesses allowed to refuse service to a married interracial couple? No. Because they are a federally protected class of people.
Refusing service to someone for being gay, is not FEDERALLY prohibited. However, twenty one states DO consider gays a protected class... and in THIS case, which is in Indiana, the law of Indiana protects these couples against discrimination because of sexual orientation.
And to wrap it up, it IS as simple as it was stated.
YOUR religious liberty means YOU get to practice YOUR religion as you see fit. Religious liberty doesn't give you a pass to discriminate or force your view on others. If your religion says don't get gay married then YOU get to not get gay married.
And, as far as I can tell, I haven't seen any instruction in the bible where is says, don't do a gay persons taxes. In fact, I don't think it says anything in the bible other than don't be gay because God doesn't like it, and don't engage in gay sex. No where does it say to discriminate against or marginalize gays or treat them as non people.
It really is that simple.
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