In 2016, a special birthday is afoot for what must be one of the most controversial hundred year old’s to ever have existed. Except this is no person but the federal estate tax which came about a century ago when emperors still ruled Europe and the information super highway was arguably still the telegraph. Much, obviously, has changed over the years but the wisdom of a central government sponsored death levy is as hotly debated today as when it was introduced. Then, as of now, it is a battle of federalism with with the right of individual states to institute the tax being almost not at all in controversy though the question of a state actually imposing one being as much contested as the federal issue. In any case, let us wish a happy birthday to the never ending hot button topic that has, aside from all else, at least given us much fodder for the minds of the politically inclined reader and writer.
See Laura Saunders, The 100th anniversary of the estate tax, Morningstar, April 30, 2016.
Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
