Proposals to increase taxes on the wealthy are having a moment: Polling shows Democrats and Republicans coming together in support of steep taxes on the wealth and income of the super-rich. Although the specifics of the proposals are new, the general public sentiment toward soaking the rich is a long-standing one, according to Gallup polling.
But there’s one type of tax on millionaires that Americans have consistently been skeptical of: the estate tax. Polling typically shows that a majority of Americans favor repealing this tax completely.
Part of this is because of Republicans’ success in branding the tax a “death tax” that unfairly confiscates wealth from Americans at the time of a family member’s death. But research out of Sweden suggests there’s another factor driving opposition to the estate tax: Many people may simply be unaware of basic facts about inherited wealth. CONT.
Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post