Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced the Survivors Assistance for Fear-free and Easy Tax Filing (SAFE Tax Filing) Act of 2025. By making it easier for survivors of spousal abuse or abandonment to file their taxes, the SAFE Tax Filing Act will help survivors rebuild their lives and is another step towards stopping economic coercion in abusive marriages.
“We can and should do everything we can to make life easier for survivors of domestic abuse,” said Senator Fetterman. “I’m proud to partner with Senators Cornyn, Cortez Masto, and Ernst to introduce this bill to allow survivors file their taxes and receive the biggest refund they can under law, without being forced to contact their abusers. It’s really the least we can do. Let’s get this done.”
“Survivors of abuse have endured unimaginable adversity and deserve financial freedom,” said Senator Cornyn. “By allowing victims of domestic violence to file taxes independently, this legislation would empower survivors and give them a renewed sense of agency and self-worth on their path to healing.”
“Survivors of domestic violence should not have to worry about contacting their abuser – putting themselves and their children at risk of serious physical harm – just to file their taxes,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This commonsense, bipartisan legislation will help keep Nevada families safe and help survivors on the road to recovery.”
“I’m honored to stand up for survivors of domestic violence and ensure they aren’t trapped or penalized by the tax code through the SAFE Tax Filing Act,” said Senator Ernst. “This bipartisan bill offers a commonsense path to ensure the system works for survivors, not against them.”
The SAFE Tax Filing Act allows spousal abuse survivors to file their taxes as if they are unmarried. Currently, laws require survivors to either file their taxes jointly with their abuser or to file as Married Filing Separately, a disadvantageous status that could reduce their tax refund. This bill ends the requirement that survivors must contact their abusers to get the biggest tax refund they’re eligible for to support themselves and their families.
The SAFE Tax Filing Act is endorsed by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice, Futures Without Violence, and Just Solutions.
“The SAFE Tax Filing Act of 2025 is more than tax reform—it’s a lifeline,” said Pamela Jacobs, JD, CEO, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. “It recognizes that survivors of abuse deserve safety, autonomy, and freedom from financial entanglement with those who’ve harmed them. This legislation honors the reality of survivors’ lives and removes another barrier on their path to healing and independence.”
“PCADV supports efforts to provide survivors with options to manage their lives free from abuse,” said Susan Higginbotham, CEO, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “99% of domestic violence situations involve financial abuse, and the SAFE Tax Filing Act is another tool that would allow survivors a measure of self-determination.”
“The National Domestic Violence Hotline is deeply grateful to Senators Fetterman and Cornyn for introducing the SAFE Tax Filing Act of 2025,” said Katie Ray-Jones, CEO of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. “Victims and survivors of domestic violence deserve to rebuild their lives safely and with dignity. This bill recognizes the complex realities victims and survivors face and removes a critical barrier when filing taxes.”
“The National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA), and the more than 66,000 enrolled agents (EAs) we represent, would like to express our support for the SAFE Tax Filing Act, which would amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain abused or abandoned spouses to file as unmarried or heads of household,” said Jennifer MacMillian, President, National Association of Enrolled Agents. “This proposed legislation would greatly benefit abused and abandoned spouses who have not yet been legally extracted from their marriages. EAs specialize in tax preparation and representation, and we believe this bill will provide welcome relief to certain spouses who have experienced abuse, especially in community property states where the states presume that married couples jointly own assets and debts acquired during their marriage. We commend Senators John Fetterman (D-PA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) for their work on this incredibly important issue and look forward to the Senate taking up the legislation.”
“United Way of Pennsylvania supports the SAFE Tax Filing Act of 2025,” said Melody Zimmerman, Policy Director, United Way of Pennsylvania. “Allowing survivors of domestic violence and spousal abandonment to independently file their own taxes puts them on the path to financial security and allows them to safely care for themselves and their families.”
“There is no safety without economic security. Survivors of domestic violence often face substantial tax liability as a result of their abusive partner, and the act of filing taxes can expose survivors to further risk to their physical safety,” said Erika Sussman, Founder & Executive Director, Center for Survivor Agency and Justice. “The SAFE Tax Filing Act will lift that burden by providing survivors with the chance to attend to their tax responsibilities without subjecting themselves to further economic and physical harm. We owe this to survivors.”
“I’m grateful to Senators Fetterman and Cornyn for their leadership on this bill,” said Lisalyn R. Jacobs, CEO, Just Solutions. “The SAFE Tax Filing Act will provide vital tools to survivors seeking to recover their agency and economic stability.”
The full bill text is available here.
