Estate Tax: Pay Now, Die Later?

Somebody in Congress thinks people should have the option of prepaying their estate tax, according to this post from The Hill's On the Money blog. See also the comment on the "goofy proposal."

Not completely goofy, perhaps. Some well-heeled folks actually are prepaying income tax on their IRAs, via conversions to Roth IRAs.

So far, Congress seems in no hurry to reinstate the estate tax in any form. Meanwhile, thanks to carry-over basis for computing capital gain, the death tax lives for the heir who must sell assets.