The Los Angeles Times (July 5)
2010/ 07/ 07 by jd in Global News
2010 is the year to throw grandma off the train. That is, if she lives in the U.S. In 2010 only, there is no estate tax on inheritance. The estate tax expired in 2009. From 2011, estates exceeding $1 million will again be taxed. Dan Duncan became the first billionaire to die during this one-year window. His heirs will not pay taxes on their windfall. The Los Angeles Times opinion piece argues that taxing inheritance is very important for the health of a society, especially in the U.S. where “the wealthiest 1% of Americans own more than 33% of the country’s wealth.”