The estate tax doesn't tax the dead, just wealthy socialites
Written by Christine Schwen
Published
Yesterday, I mentioned that Fox & Friends really scraped the bottom of the barrel in attacking the estate tax by reviving the old “people will have to sell off their family farms myth.” Well, I was wrong. Today's estate tax attack was much dumber.
Today, the morning zoo crew actually asked if it was legal to tax someone twice:
OK, two things. First: Yes, yes it is. Before repeatedly suggesting that it isn't legal, Fox & Friends should have just had an intern check, because the 16th Amendment to the Constitution clearly gives the government the power to collect taxes “from whatever source.” Someone should tell Fox that simply disliking that part of the Constitution doesn't make it illegal.
But more importantly, dead people are not being taxed via the estate tax. When someone dies and passes on millions to their heirs, they're not being taxed because, well, they're dead.
However, when an American inherits millions of dollars from a recently departed loved one, they are being taxed under the estate tax. Why? Because this is income that they “earn” simply by being born lucky, and we do tax income in this country.
Should middle-class Americans pay taxes on every dollar they earn by working for a living while wealthy socialites who simply inherit their income get a pass? Fox News thinks so.