Report on Discrimination Against Singles

You made an omission in your article claiming “bias against unmarrieds” (Part A, March 20). You quoted singles’ rights proponents and never mentioned the marriage penalty that the tax laws inflict on all marriage partners. At this time of year, especially, married people are reminded most painfully how Congress and the state Legislature have punished them merely because they are married.

An unmarried person gets a $3,100 standard deduction against taxable income, a married person only $2,600. At the higher end it gets worse: Each single person gets a $30,000 tax deduction against income in the alternative minimum tax, each spouse gets only $20,000. And so it goes throughout the entire tax code.

ALBERT J. FORN

Santa Monica