While the so-called “death tax” has been proven increasingly unpopular as conservatives have gained increasing political power in the House and Senate, it has been negligible in adding to federal tax collections, as the U.S. debt has continued to set new records to more than $20 trillion in early 2018.
In fact it has reached an all-time low as a percentage of total tax collections, as independent businesses have rushed to sell out as a means of assuring the owners’ recipients give up their holdings to larger corporations so as not to be saddled as potential tax victims.