Hodes, Shea-Porter on winning side in tax relief vote

WASHINGTON—New Hampshire Democrats Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter were on the winning side as the House voted to protect more than 20 million mostly upper-income taxpayers in danger of being slapped with a tax increase.

The House voted on Wednesday to fix the alternative minimum tax, which would have hiked taxes an average of $2,300 for many taxpayers.

Without a fix, the number of taxpayers swept up by the alternative minimum tax could balloon from around 4 million to between 25 million to 30 million.

The tax was enacted in 1969 to catch a small number of very rich tax dodgers, but the tax now hits many more people because it was never adjusted for inflation.

The plan now moves to the Senate.