Congress·In Progress·H.R. 9496

End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act

Tax Relief for American Hostages and Wrongful Detainees

Jun 29·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: A house committee

The House Committee on Ways and Means voted to approve this bill on June 30, 2026. It is now waiting for the committee to officially report it to the full House for further action. The bill is actively moving through the legislative process.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Could go either way

This bill has strong bipartisan support and addresses a clear fairness issue, but it still needs to move through the committee process and find time for a full vote.

Key Points

This bill stops the IRS from charging late fees or interest to Americans who are being held hostage or are wrongfully imprisoned in other countries. It recognizes that people in these situations cannot file their taxes on time and should not be punished for it.
The tax relief also extends to the spouses of those being held. This helps families avoid extra financial burdens and legal trouble while their loved ones are in danger overseas.
The government will be required to refund any tax penalties or interest that were already paid by people held hostage since early 2021. The Treasury Department must update its computer systems to stop collection actions against these individuals automatically.
To make sure the right people get help, the State Department and the Attorney General will give the IRS a list of everyone officially recognized as a hostage or wrongful detainee. This ensures that families do not have to jump through extra hoops to get their penalties removed.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

3 milestones4 actions

Jul 1, 2026House

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 40 - 0.

The committee approved this bill and is sending it to the full chamber for a vote. This is a significant step — most bills never get this far.

Jul 1, 2026House

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Jun 29, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Jun 29, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes or news coverage recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act

Bill NumberHR 9496

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionOrdered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 40 - 0.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(2)

D: 2

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.