Niagara Leader

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney announced that her bill, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, has been approved by the House of Representatives with a vote count of 219-184. The legislation was co-sponsored by Representatives David Kustoff, Brad Schneider, and Nicole Malliotakis.

The bill, known as H.R. 9495, proposes amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. It aims to delay tax deadlines and refund late fees for U.S. citizens who are wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad. Additionally, it seeks to revoke the tax-exempt status of organizations that support terrorist activities.

"Americans are being used as leverage across the globe while being held hostage or wrongfully detained by terrorist groups," stated Congresswoman Tenney. "This includes NY-24's own Ryan Corbett in Afghanistan and numerous Americans held by Hamas in Gaza. The last thing these Americans should have to face when returning home is tax penalties from the government."

Tenney emphasized that her bill addresses this issue in the tax code: "The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act corrects this flaw in our tax code, ensuring that individuals returning home from unimaginable hardship are not penalized with back taxes by the IRS."

Furthermore, she noted that "this legislation requires the IRS to revoke the tax-exempt status of any organization that provides financial support or resources to designated terrorist groups." She expressed satisfaction over its passage in the House: "I am pleased this legislation passed the House, ensuring that Americans who have endured the horrors of being held hostage can return home without facing punitive tax penalties while also strengthening our stance against terrorism."