The Behavioral Response of Wealth Accumulation to Estate Taxation: Time Series Evidence

Abstract

This paper explores the behavioral response of taxable bequests to estate taxation. To gauge its effects, the estate tax is converted to an equivalent income tax. This highlights the importance of expected rates of return, and also makes it possible to compare effective tax rates on saving over time. Using data on federal revenues from the estate tax over the past 50 years, and employing the equivalent income tax rate measure, the findings suggest that estate taxes have a dampening effect on the reported size of taxable estates. Estate taxation seems to depress taxable bequests by almost 10 percent.

Keywords: Saving, Bequests, Estate Tax

JEL Classification: D19, H31