New International Survey Shows U.S. Death Tax Rates Among Highest

American Council for Capital Formation
August 2007

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INTRODUCTION

Since its addition to the U.S. tax code in 1916, the estate tax (often called the “death tax ”) has been
a major topic of debate among policymakers and tax policy scholars. The estate tax, a tax on the transfer of
property at death, has undergone a number of changes over the years. Most recently the estate tax was modified by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA).EGTRRA reduced the
estate tax rate gradually to 45 percent in 2007-2009 and repeals it in 2010. In 2011, the estate tax will revert
to its pre-EGTRRA form, with rates ranging from 41 percent to 60 percent.

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