# Should adulterers be jailed (and why not)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-adulterers-be-jailed-and-why-not/225551>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [January 22, 2004, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-adulterers-be-jailed-and-why-not/225551 "2004-01-22T01:26:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-adulterers-be-jailed-and-why-not/225551/41 "2004-01-26T16:35:25Z")

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> [@ITR champion](#):
>
> An analysis of the situation by the Congressional Budget Office determined that the amount of marriage bonuses under federal income tax law actually was larger than marriage penalties. The Ways and Means Committee report referenced in the preceding paragraph explained: “Under Congressional Budget Office calculations prepared in 1997, the marriage penalty for 1996 under their basic set of assumptions was estimated to be $28.8 billion for 20.9 million returns, and the marriage bonus was estimated to be $32.9 billion for 25.3 million returns.”

While the grand total of monies recouped may be larger, the $/return is lower.

Penalty- 28.8Bn/20.9MM = $1,377.99 per return  
Bonus- 32.9Bn/25.3MM = $1,300.40 per return

Try again.

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