Sioux City Times

U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra, along with more than 170 of his colleagues, introduced the Death Tax Repeal Act in Washington, D.C., seeking to eliminate the tax on transferring property from deceased family members to heirs of family farms and small businesses. The legislation has garnered support from over 230 organizations.

Rep. Feenstra emphasized that the death tax imposes an unfair burden on American family farms and small businesses, threatening longstanding farming traditions. "The death tax is an egregious double tax that unfairly targets American family farms and small businesses," he stated.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune introduced similar legislation in the U.S. Senate, stressing the need to remove what he called a "punishing" tax. "Losing even one of them to the death tax is one too many," Thune remarked.

Rep. Jason Smith highlighted concerns for family-owned businesses if Trump-era tax cuts expire: "If the Trump tax cuts expire, 2 million family farms will see their Death Tax exemption slashed in half."

Ross Groeneweg from Pizza Ranch voiced concerns for restaurant operators facing significant tax bills upon a loved one's death: "We thank Congressman Feenstra for his efforts to permanently repeal the 'death tax.'"

Zippy Duvall of the American Farm Bureau Federation supported the bill, saying it would help families pass their farms to future generations without added financial strain.

Palmer Schoening from the Family Business Coalition commended Rep. Feenstra and Sanford Bishop for their bipartisan efforts: "Repealing the death tax will ensure that hard-working families can pass their businesses on to the next generation."

Chris Netram from the National Association of Manufacturers argued that repealing this tax would protect family-owned manufacturers' ability to invest in operations and infrastructure.

Buck Wehrbein of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association pointed out that rising land values could force producers into debt due to this punitive tax: "This is not a tax on the rich; it is a boot on the neck of family businesses."

Richard Gupton from Agricultural Retailers Association expressed support for eliminating estate taxes as it allows agricultural retailers to maintain generational ownership without financial strain.

Kelsey Snyder of NFIB noted that taxing small business owners at death discourages savings and investment while reducing wages and job creation.

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