The "Death Tax"

[Dogmudgeon]

No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No!

It's the Death Lottery Tax.

When someone you're related to dies, it's like a lottery as to whether you get money, and how much.

For most of us common folk, when a loved one dies, it's a tragedy, AND there may be an inheritance, usually a modest amount of money from life insurance. But for the rich -- even the modestly rich -- the tragedy happens when there is no inheritance (or a small one).

It's not a "Death Tax". We ought to call it what it really is. It's a Death Lottery Tax.

--p!

[xray s]

1. Dead Really, Really, Really Rich People Tax

So damn selfish they try to take it with them.

[aquart]

2. No, it's a Death Tax.

Every dime is a dead American: from pollution we failed to clean up, from poverty we failed to alleviate, from lack of adequate health care because we wouldn't fund it, from wars where we gave billions to contractors and inadequate equipment and armor to our soldiers.

It's genuinely a Death Tax. We pay it with our lives.

[damntexdem]

3. No such thing: it's the fee for belonging to society.

You don't get charged until you can't feel the pain of paying anymore.

[meow2u3]

4. It's not the death tax--it's the INHERITED WEALTH TAX

Better known as the lazy rich guy's tax.

[napi21]

5. NO! It's an Estate Tax. The first rule of the IRS is that

all money, no matter what the source, is taxable as imcome! I remember having this argumant with our Tax Accountant at work. I posed the situation "I bought an old house, and while we were restoring it, we found $200,000 cash hidden in the walls. It's not earned income, so why would it be taxable?" His quoted the First Rule of the IRS, that all income, from ANY source, is taxable, unless exempted by law!

THAT is the reason inheritance money is taxable. It is not a death tax, it is TAXABLE INCOME to the recipient! The first $1.2 million (I think that's what it is) is exepmted by law!!!!

All the BS you are hearing is just another way to pass another exemption!!!!

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Four NOs out of five?

I'd like to repeat that I am NOT in favor of calling it "The Death Tax". I call it "The Death Lottery Tax" because of the view of the Spoils of Death among the rich.

But some of your own arguments are quite good.

:thumbsup:

--p!