Death taxes cost taxpayers time as well as money.
Completing the return exacts a tremendous price on a filer's patience, too. During the Ways and Means Committee hearing on the Death Tax Elimination Act, Rep. Michael Collins, R-Ga., sought answers from Treasury Department witnesses on what it costs small businesses to comply with the complicated estate tax regulations. Treasury officials were unable to come up with a dollar estimate at the hearing. But you can get a feel for the estate tax's complexity just by looking at Internal Revenue Service Form 706 . This 44-page form is used to file an estate tax return, and there is the possibility that a filer might have to fill out up to 23 additional forms.