Is it OK to discriminate against single people?

We do discriminate against them, right? If I have a co-worker that makes the same salary as I do I'll notice that they pay less in taxes because they have kids. Additionally, they will receive social services that I won't receive. Their kids will also take care of them when they're old wheras I will have nothing. In other words, the government is subsidizing them with my tax dollars to construct a retirement system (their kids) that single people will never have. Here are some other ways that single people are discriminated against, tell me if you agree or disagree and why.



• 34% claim being expected to work more weekends

• 29% claim being expected to work longer hours

• 27% claim having to attend more out-of-hours social functions

• 19% say they were expected to flirt with clients of the opposite sex

• 19% say they were expected to travel more than their hooked-up colleagues

• 67% of single men at least one form of work-related discrimination.

• 48% of single women reported a form of work discrimination.



• Tax discrimination against unmarried adults has been ignored by the media. A fair look at the entire tax picture would show that unmarried tax payers often pay higher taxes and receive fewer benefits than married tax payers



• Job benefits to an employee’s spouse are tax free, while similar benefits to an employee’s domestic partner are usually taxable by both the federal government and the state government in those states with an income tax.



• An unmarried taxpayer may not file a joint income tax return with a domestic partner or blood relative with whom the taxpayer is sharing living expenses, but married couples have the option to file a joint return which often saves them a bundle in taxes.



• In several states which criminalize unmarried cohabitation or private sexual conduct, the federal government will not allow one partner in an unmarried couple to deduct the other partner as a dependent for income tax purposes because of a clause in federal law which prohibits a dependent status if a relationship violates local law.



• Upper-income married couples reap a windfall when it comes to federal estate taxes because: (1) a person who dies may leave unlimited wealth to a surviving spouse without paying one penny in estate taxes; but (2) an unmarried person who dies with an estate over $675,000 can have anywhere between 25% to 60% of the estate taken by the federal government in estate taxes.



• Many states and local communities assess a transfer tax when title to real estate or an automobile is transferred to another person or a second name is added to the title. Transfers to a spouse are not taxable while transfers to a domestic partner or a close friend are.



• Some businesses offer "family" discounts to consumers who purchase goods or services. For example, some auto clubs will allow a motorist to add a spouse as a joint member for free or at a discount, but will require two unmarried consumers who live together to have two separate memberships.



• Unmarried couples will often pay more than married couples for auto insurance or renters insurance. That is because many companies will issue a joint policy with a family discount to a married couple but will require an unmarried couple to pay for two separate premiums.



• Unmarried workers may lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year in employee benefits compensation. Employers often subsidize all or a large portion of health, dental, vision, and other benefits for spouses of married employees without giving similar compensation to unmarried workers in some other form.

So what do you think? Is this acceptable in American society? If the roles were reversed would people with children be protesting? Is it our duty to support people with children through taxation and other means? Do let me know.