[ExI] The Dogs of Immortality

[mail at HarveyNewstrom.com]

"Stathis Papaioannou" <stathisp at gmail.com> wrote,
> 2008/7/13 Harvey Newstrom <mail at harveynewstrom.com>:
>
>> Is there a fundamental reason why income should be taxed and sales should 
>> be
>> taxed but inheritance should not be taxed when it is passed between
>> individuals?  Do you feel the same about gift taxes?  Should someone 
>> receiving
>> a large gift pay taxes on it?  If so, how is this different than 
>> inheritance?
>> If not, why should people be taxed on earned money but not unearned 
>> money?
>>
>> I.E., what is the underlying mechanism used to determine what should be 
>> taxed
>> and what should not?
>
> Taxes are a fee charged for a common service and differ from most fees
> charged by private organisations in that the underlying principle is
> not profit but fairness and utility. Many on this list would argue
> that no tax is fair, but that is hardly a universally accepted view.

I pretty much agree.  What I am wondering is if anyone thinks sales taxes 
and gift taxes are fair, while inheritence taxes are not.  I can better 
understand someone who supports all these taxes or none of them.  But I am 
more confused by the idea that income and gifts should be taxed, but not 
inheritence.

--
Harvey Newstrom <www.HarveyNewstrom.com>
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