1 worker dies, another hurt by Wis. chemical fumes

Couples with civil-union licenses in Illinois will soon be allowed to file joint income tax returns with the state.

Though same-sex couples will still have to file federal tax returns individually, the Illinois Department of Revenue says it will accept joint returns from same-sex couples starting in January.

The advocacy group Equality Illinois announced an agreement with the revenue department Monday night.

Illinois has a flat income tax of 5 percent, so a joint state return won’t save couples money. But Equality Illinois CEO Bernard Cherkasov says the new policy is still a good step.

A revenue department spokeswoman says officials are still finalizing how the policy will work. The current plan is to have couples fill out a joint federal tax return for the state’s purposes only.