Sir, – Dermot Casey suggests that working people could regard the inheritance tax as a farewell gift to a society that has “supported and enabled” them in their working lives and in the accumulation of their estate (Letters, September 19th).
Some might argue that people already contribute to society throughout their working lives with huge income tax and a myriad of other taxes.
It is also unclear how “society” enables workers when the social contract has been utterly eroded with problems across public realms, including public transport, safety in our cities, cost of childcare and other issues. All of which hinder working peoples’ lives and – despite years of buoyant public finances – remain unresolved.
Furthermore, leaving a farewell gift through inheritance tax would be so much easier to swallow if people knew it would not be mismanaged by Government – on printers and bike sheds and children’s hospitals and such.
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A solution to the inheritance tax question – for those who believe they owe society a parting gift – could be to instead make a lavish bequest to the State in their will, and allow individuals the freedom to decide how to use their accumulated and already-taxed wealth and assets without interference? – Yours, etc,
GERARD REYNOLDS,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
