While we've named it the Death Tax, Grim-Reaper's Tax, Grave Robber's Tax, Cruelest Tax, Exit Tax, Departure Tax, and Success Tax, it could just as accurately be called a Voluntary Tax since only a few use the loopholes that are available to avoid it through trusts and foundations. This tax is actually a revenue loser instead of a revenue raiser in that the 1 percent of federal tax receipts collected annually are wasted on collection and compliance, while economic studies show that those monies left in the economy would boost job creation, thus providing more tax revenues for the Treasury. Law Professor Edward McCaffrey of the University of Southern California, an unrequited liberal, says that there's now ample economic evidence that the tax is actually a hindrance to job expansion and serious thought should be given to immediate repeal. The conservative 60 Plus Association agrees with the liberal law professor. The death tax, enacted three times before in the nation's history to finance defense efforts, and always repealed shortly thereafter, has been on the books for over 84 years.
Immediate repeal is what the public wants.
Let's remove Uncle Sam, not even a blood relative, from first in line of claimants for a loved one's earthly possessions. Let's kill the death tax, kill it dead, black flag dead, by repealing it a fourth and final time by allowing this onerous tax to R.I.P. in the year 2001. Jim Martin is president of the 60 Plus Association.