.
SAA STUDENT ADVOCATES for the ARTS A network of student advocates united to make positive change in the arts sector.
Home

Action Alerts

Arts News

eNewsletter

About SAA

Join SAA

Member List

Links

SAA History

Action Alert
H.R. 8 - Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2003

This bill is intended to permanently extend full repeal of the estate tax, thus decreasing charitable giving and increasing the federal and state budget crises. Eliminating this tax will cost around $1 trillion in lost federal government revenue over the next 20 years, and will benefit only a very small fraction of the wealthiest individuals in the country.
(full text of the Bill.pdf)

Learn More
Americans for a Fair Estate Tax


Please notify studentadvocates@columbia.edu if you send a letter so we can measure the effectiveness of this alert.

Thanks to givevoice.org for their help with this Action Alert and sample letter.

  

 

 

 

What can you do?

We encourage you to contact your district House Representative and urge them to vote against this bill. Follow these steps to send an electronic letter to your representative.
You can also Email this Alert to Others...

  2. Highlight the text below with your mouse and copy it by pressing Control+c or Apple+c:
    Date

    The Honorable ____________
    U. S. House of Representatives
    Washington, DC

    Dear Representative ____________:
    I am writing to urge you to oppose H.R.8, the "Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2003," which would make the repeal of the estate tax contained in Public Law 107-16 permanent. I am concerned about the harmful affect that this legislation would have on charitable giving and on the federal and state budget crises.

    The estate tax provides federal and state revenues that are used to provide community services, such as quality schools, staffed and equipped hospitals and police and fire departments, good roads, clean air and water, parks, and libraries. Repealing the estate tax would reduce federal revenue by $1 trillion over the next twenty years. This will have a tremendous impact on services in our community.

    Repeal of the estate tax would also remove a strong incentive for the wealthiest Americans to make charitable bequests through their estates. New research shows that repeal of the estate tax would result in a total loss of $10 billion in charitable giving each year. As an affiliate of Student Advocates for the Arts (http://www.studentadvocatesforthearts.org), I am particularly fearful of the negative consequences this holds for arts organizations.

    Family farms and small businesses can be protected without repeal. Reforming the tax by raising the exemption level would remove vulnerable small farms and businesses from the burden the tax can create, and maintain the tax on the truly large fortunes.

    Our democracy cannot afford to increase the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the rich, and widen the gap between them and the majority of working Americans. The estate tax is a transfer tax on the unearned inheritance of wealth; the majority of estates are appreciated assets which have never been taxed. If we tax wages, it is only fair to tax capital gains. The estate tax is NOT a "death tax" or "double taxation".

    For all of these reasons, I hope you will vote NO on H.R. 8. Thank you for your consideration on this important matter to our community.
    Sincerely,

  3. Enter your
    -

  4. The button below will transport you to the House of Representatives site. Fill out your name and address on the first page.

  5. Paste the text into the contact form by pressing Control+v or Apple+v. Edit the letter and send to your Representative.
     

Contact us: studentadvocates@columbia.edu About SAA   Your Privacy