Obama’s Withdrawal of Support for DOMA is Hopeful News for Widow Seeking Estate Tax Refund

I recently blogged about President Obama withdrawing his support of DOMA. Edith Windsor, the surviving spouse of a lesbian couple, hopes that this change will help her win her battle for reimbursement for the estate taxes she paid on her wife’s estate.

Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer became engaged in 1967 and married in 2007. Although New York recognized their marriage, DOMA denied federal recognition of their marriage, making the couple ineligible for the unlimited spousal federal estate tax exemption. Ms. Windsor, now 81 years old with a serious heart condition, is seeking reimbursement for the $350,000 federal estate tax bill she paid on her wife’s estate. Although President Obama’s withdrawal of support for DOMA seems to suggest definite legal success for Ms. Windsor, members of Congress may still step in to defend the law themselves.

See Obama’s Shift on Gay Marriage is Hopeful News for Widow Seeking Estate Tax Refund, ElderLawAnswers, Feb. 25, 2011.