04-03-2013, 11:22 PM
cbelt3 wrote:
I'll agree that there is a difference in perceived 'merit' between Trustafarians and a multi-generational family run business. But... who decides who is 'meritorious' ? The Waltons are the wealthiest 'dynasty' on the Forbes list. They don't run daddy's company any longer. But most of them have some philanthropic activity or another.
If you can't decide on who merits having inherited income/wealth, then what's the basis for saying it's wrong to tax big chunks of the wealth away after a person's death? Are you suggesting that a person merits getting inherited wealth if they use some part of the inherited wealth for philanthropy?