In this chapter, I review empirical and theoretical literature on taxation of intergenerational transfers (estates, bequests, inheritances, inter vivos gifts) and wealth. The main message may be summarized as follows. Empirical evidence on bequest motivations and responses to estate taxation is...

This article previews some of the author's arguments concerning more effective taxation of intergenerational wealth transmission that were later delineated in his award-winning book "Inheritance, Wealth, and Society (Indiana University Press 1982)". The author uses historical and philosophical...

German Abstract Wenn hohe Vermögen stärker besteuert werden sollen, spricht vieles für eine effektivere Erbschaftsteuer. Dazu sollten die weitgehenden Steuerbefreiungen für Unternehmensübertragungen und weitere Steuervergünstigungen beseitigt werden. Dadurch ließe sich auch bei moderaten...

The line between normative and positive economic analysis is, supposedly, a sharp one. The former allows for value judgments, the latter does not. This distinction is mentioned in all basic texts in our profession, and in all introductory courses. Then, all too often, such as in the present...

Based on the most recent data from the ECB's Household Finance and Consumption Survey, the project models the future household-level wealth distribution in five selected EU member countries (Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, and Italy) to derive inheritances based on different demographic and...

This paper examines the role of bequests and of taxation on bequests for the distribution of wealth. We investigate a model with overlapping generations and heterogenous households where parents derive utility directly from their bequests. Using the coefficient of variation as the measure of...

Although the Ricardian Equivalence Theorem holds under a linear estate tax schedule, it fails to hold under a nonlinear estate tax schedule. In a representative consumer economy, a temporary lump-sum tax increase reduces contemporaneous consumption. If different consumers face different marginal...

Based on the most recent data from the ECB's Household Finance and Consumption Survey, the project models the future household-level wealth distribution in five selected EU member countries (Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, and Italy) to derive inheritances based on different demographic and...