nicko31
Well-known member
Encouraging people to spend in their later years wouldn't be such a bad thing, it's better for the economy for money to be spent (and therefore taxed again) than sitting in a bank account or other assets such as a house that don't get bought/sold regularly.
If it were down to me, I'd set an upper limit for inheritance - let's say £50,000 per person for example - where everything above that gets taxed 100%. If that encourages people to split their inheritance across more recipients, that's better as it's more likely to get spent and re-taxed through VAT etc. The upper limit would need to be large enough to allow people to leave a generous gift for their children, without handing them a significantly unfair advantage over the majority who do not have much to gift to their kids.
I know a lot of people would find that uncomfortable as it would mean parents couldn't hand their property down to their children anymore. But the way property ownership is going, in 50 years or so only the rich will be able to hand property down. This spirals into an ever unfair cycle where the best chance of owning your own house is through inheritance. Personally I think that right should be earned, not gifted.
It's natural for parents to want their own kids to inherit everything they've worked for, and I understand why some may feel that this would take that right away from them. But I strongly believe that society should do everything it can to balance the opportunities for every child, you don't get to choose the circumstances you are born into after all.
£50k limit, yes I'd be in favour of that for the reasons you demonstrate
I'd also close a of couple loopholes like pension pots which are exempt from inheritance (unbelievable but true) and is agricultural land (that one is completely open to abuse by the rich)