Rep. Nancy Mace Introduces Bill To Strengthen Protections For Domestic Violence Survivors In The Tax Code
Mace’s new legislation reinforces commitment to protect survivors and ensure abusers are held accountable
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 2, 2025) — Today, Congresswoman Nancy Mace introduced the Tax Fairness for Abuse Survivors Act, legislation focused on protecting domestic violence survivors and ensuring no victim is ever left carrying tax burdens created under fear, manipulation, or threats. This legislation delivers long-overdue safeguards to stop forcing survivors to pay the tax debts of the abusers who hurt them.
Abuse steals years, safety, dignity, and too often, financial freedom. Survivors have paid more than enough already, and they should never be punished for crimes committed against them.
Rep. Mace’s legislation protects survivors' financial freedom, building a safe and fair process for relief, locking down survivor privacy, and shutting the door on abusers using the tax code as a weapon.
“When survivors of domestic violence finally flee, the IRS shouldn’t be waiting on the other side of the door,” said Congresswoman Mace. “Many survivors are pressured, intimidated, or outright threatened into signing joint returns they never wanted to sign. No one should carry the financial wounds of the predator who abused them. Our legislation strengthens and expands vital protections so survivors can seek relief without fear of retaliation from their abuser.”
The Tax Fairness for Abuse Survivors Act will:
- Provide tax liability relief for survivors who unknowingly signed a joint return with an understatement, or who signed under fear, coercion, threats, or duress.
- Allow survivors to submit evidence of domestic violence or abuse when seeking relief.
- Create a presumption in the survivor’s favor when they provide evidence of abuse, making it the default presumption they signed due to fear, pressure, threats of retaliation, or duress.
- Protect survivor safety by prohibiting the IRS from notifying the abusive spouse the survivor requested relief, or from mentioning abuse in any notice.
This legislation solidifies updates to the Internal Revenue Code to ensure survivors can reclaim financial independence without fear of retaliation. It applies to all relief requests submitted after the bill becomes law.
Read the full bill text here:
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