When Everyone’s Taxed Too Much, Nobody Builds Anything
Posted by Awkward-Mechanic-975@reddit | Libertarian | View on Reddit | 9 comments
Some people start with more advantages — better schools, family wealth, or connections. That’s real, and it’s natural to feel frustration when the playing field isn’t level.
But turning that resentment into policy, like heavy inheritance taxes, only hurts everyone. Taxing away what others have built doesn’t make life fairer — it just destroys the incentives and opportunities that allow people to rise.
Libertarians believe empathy and opportunity go hand in hand. We should lift people up, not tear others down. Fairness comes from freedom — not from envy.
MermaidSkipper@reddit
I’m planning to move to a state that doesn’t have these taxes, like New Hampshire. They have no inheritance or estate tax, no state income tax and no sales tax. They do have property tax but that’s everywhere unfortunately.
aulait_throwaway@reddit
Nah, lots of debate to be had over income and capital gains taxes. Heavy inheritance taxes are healthy for society. Otherwise you absolutely stifle meritocracy.
Svokxz2@reddit
That too can also cause some economic drawbacks.
not_a_expert69@reddit
It’s true I’m 24 live at home (in Illinois) with my mom and part of the reason housing here is so unaffordable is the property taxes. I can’t afford to pay 5k a year in property tax on a starter home. Especially not when they are in the high 200’s
UnleashTheOnion@reddit
Cries in NJ property taxes
I genuinely worry about being taxed out of my home some day. Property taxes are only getting worse.. We are already at 12k (and I've seen houses at 18-21k nearby).
not_a_expert69@reddit
Yea both my parents property taxes are insane and about the same as what u mention my moms house is at like 14k my dads at 15k.
My uncle somehow got out of paying property taxes for a few years cuz he’s a disabled veteran and got a property tax exemption then after only a few years of that he moved to Florida
Yo_Mr_White_@reddit
I am a tech entrepreneur myself
I do this for the money 100%. Entrepreneurship is terrible when things don't go well, which is the most common case by far.
Would tax deter me? Honestly, no. I think anything below 50%, i would still go for it.
However, taxes on an early stage business that is struggling to survive can really affect the business (and therefore me).
Mrandomc@reddit
It is almost impossible for highly wealthy individuals to not compound there wealth in today’s world It is easy for the rich to get richer. It’s very rare to skip from poverty to upper class and difficult to go from middle class to upper class.
Currently the game is rigged by the government to let the rich get richer. In our current tax system I’m not heavily against some form of inheritance tax.
Generational wealth continues to add to corruption and cronyism.
If you remove the benefits the rich get, then I’m against inheritance tax system
Notworld@reddit
Yeah I think this is a fair take and something I’ve been struggling with as a libertarian.
I’m definitely against inheritance taxes for the reasons stated by OP. And I generally don’t want some kind of government lead wealth redistribution.
I just mean on principle. The current system is not a meritocratic one. Sure within each class it might be. But I don’t think that makes it fair. And so I don’t think we have a truly free market. So I don’t see how while I’m stuck in this system, I could be agains the government doing something to balance things out. Granted, I don’t actually think the government can or will or wants to. I do think it would just make things worse. I’m more just talking on principle.
Right now it basically feels like we live in socialism pretending to be capitalism, propped up by a house of cards stock market, and I’m not actually getting anything for my tax dollars. It’s fucked.
Tear it down and give me smaller, weaker government? Yes, please.
Keep as is and pretend I have to live and die by libertarian principles while get screwed over by the system? No, thank you.