knollenberg_martyRepublican State Rep. Marty Knollenberg of Troy is looking to ease the pain of the downturn in the housing market with the introduction of a bill that would increase the federal capital loss deduction from $3,000 to $6,000.

“The crisis in the housing market, coupled with the credit crunch, has forced many in the middle class to cash out their stocks at a loss just to pay their mortgages, feed their families and make ends meet,” Knollenberg, the son of former U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, said in a statement.

 

“This simple reform would go a long way to help alleviate the effects of this recession on the middle class. As our state and nation adjust to the realities of these new economic forces, the federal government should step up and come to the aid of families.”

The loss deduction is part of the Internal Revenue Service code, and gives tax relief to those who have suffered losses to their investments. The current deduction of $3,000 is used on tax returns when an individual loses more on assets than originally invested, which Knollenberg would like to see raised to $6,000 in his recently introduced House Resolution 65.