Nothing Certain But Death and Taxes (Fifth in a Series)

America's death tax is insulting as well as injurious.

"Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
And you're working for no one but me."

-- "Taxman," by the Beatles

by Rod D. Martin
July 15, 2004

Everybody remembers the old saying: there are but two things certain in life -- death and taxes.

Each does obvious injury. When any government combines the two (or so implied the Beatles), it adds insult to this injury.

Make no mistake about it. America's death tax is insulting as well as injurious.

It's a national disgrace. When a loved one dies, Uncle Sam should not even be in the line of vultures -- let alone the chief vulture -- poised to devour the estate.

But it is.

And that must change.

In my continuing series on the need for a flat tax system for America, I've identified five essential reforms to help us break away from our current system of tax oppression and wealth confiscation.

Freeing ourselves from the clutches of the death tax monster is clearly one of the most important of these c…