Introduction
Same-sex couples living in California, the District of Columbia, Nevada (effective Oct. 1, 2009), Oregon and Washington state (effective July 26, 2009, subject to possible referendum) can take advantage of broad domestic partner laws that, like civil unions, offer access to the state-level rights and responsibilities of marriage. In addition, Hawaii allows same-sex couples to receive a limited set of rights through reciprocal beneficiary relationships, which function as a sort of limited domestic partner relationship. Wherever you live, be sure to see the collection of legal documents to protect your family. Visit the Workplace section to learn more about governments and other employers that offer domestic partner benefits to their employees' partners.
Articles
City and County Domestic Partner Registries
Listing of local domestic partner registries.
Taxation of Domestic Partner Benefits
Whereas different-sex married couples obtain benefits pre-tax, same-sex couples are taxed on the benefits offered by their employer.