"Death Tax"? What the heck are you on about? The dead aren't taxed, they can't, they are dead. What are you going to do to them as punishment if they fail to comply? Shoot the corpse?
It's a tax levied on those who get a completely free/undeserved sudden windfall; in the sense that they did not do anything to obtain it and didn't even have to expose risk or pay for a chance.
Most nations put pretty serious taxes on earnings from lotteries, and an inheritance is like a lottery where you didn't even have to pay for a ticket.
There's no obvious objective truth about the idea of taxing inheritance. But calling it "silly death tax" is, oof. Idiotic. Cut it out.
Ah... Several other comments were complaining about "death tax", but until I read your post I didn't really get what their fuss was about.
The inheritance will often have been arranged before the person dies, no? So they wanted to direct their assets (which were already taxed in myriad ways) but you decide that you have more of a right to direct those assets for them.
I pay sales tax when I buy something with money I have. That was already taxed.
Huffing and Puffing about paying taxes when you do a thing _just_ because the thing you are doing, you do with money you already paid taxes on - is a crazy idea. So crazy, nobody does it even though that happens all the time. Except, apparently, inheritance tax.
You must really hate taxes on fuel or cigarettes too, and sales tax of course.
Similarly, this:
> but you decide that you have more of a right to direct those assets for them.
Is quite the statement. That is what governments do all the time. You want to do a thing, they tell you: No, you cannot do that. If you fail to comply, we will punish you. For some countries, all the way up to and including murdering you.
Government dictates and you agree. That whole 'monopoly on violence' thing.
In this case, government has some thoughts on how you should spend your money as you are shuffling off your mortal coil. It suggests you spend some of that on general things the country as a whole wants funded. It very strongly suggests it. Insists, really. Kinda like how it insists you wear a seatbelt.
> You must really hate taxes on fuel or cigarettes too, and sales tax of course.
Yes. I'm not against taxes in general, but I think our tax system is a monstrosity. No, I don't have some kind of alternative, I just grab my ankles and grit my teeth like everyone else.
> That is what governments do all the time
Oh, well I guess it must be fine then. Is this supposed to be an argument?
Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
One of the punchier Beatles songs, good riff.