Originally Posted By: Hankster
Do you seriously think it's okeydokey to take 550K from an estate that is in actuality a business worth 1M that someone wanted to leave to his/her children?


no, but neither do the democrats with their 1M exemption.

Originally Posted By: Hankster
Lowering of estate taxes, capital gains taxes...all a part of the Bush tax cuts and all on the expiration schedule. Why wouldn't they be a part of any compromise?


i'm curious about why capital gains and dividends shouldn't be taxed at ordinary income rates. say jimmy "trust fund" mcgee earns $500,000 via capital gains and dividends. he pays 15% in taxes on those earnings. then you have johnny "boot straps" johnson who owns a company that produces a useful product, employs workers, and pays 35% on his $500,000. why? most tax laws are written for a supposed purpose (home interest deduction increases incentive for home ownership, for example) so what is the purpose of lower rates on un-earned income?