Taxes on Inheritance and Lottery Winnings

[Giant Saguaro]

Ideally both eliminated, but I'd settle for dramatically lowering the lottery tax while eliminating the inheritance tax.

[Giant Saguaro]

For something to be considered an income, is there an inference that one has to work for it or make an informed decision or do something in order to receive the money aside from having good timing and aside from being "lucky"? I would buy that argument if someone were to advance it because being lucky or having good timing is too arbitrary a reason for me for the government to penalize someone. Yes, it's an income, but it's not something that's worked for, in a sense. Too arbitrary a reason to penalize someone, IMO, if it's taxing someone for being lucky and I agree that it is.

As to the inheritance tax, it doesn't preclude anyone else from making a fortune and it doesn't in and of itself keep the wealth all in one spot, so it doesn't keep a caste system out and it doesn't guard against feudalism. People can lose fortunes at any time, mainly via making stupid decisions or by being wasteful. Others, on the other hand, can make them at any time. I think it's blatantly unfair; the government shouldn't intrude into what and how someone wants to leave behind an estate and it shouldn't step in front of someone receiving an estate. They can't come in and say, okay, you have 2 kids, so 50% goes to each one, so I don't think the government should interfere at all.