About 40% of the taxes on this estate are those assessed by the State of New York. Hence, the same state which, unlike most other states, recognizes same sex marriage is prepared to tax the daylights out of every marriage. This is because New York taxes estates at the death of the first spouse, including same sex marriages. The rest of the estate taxes are federal. These estate taxes were enacted under a President who recently endorsed same sex marriage, unlike his predecessor, who never endorsed same sex marriage but did persuade the Congress to repeal federal estate taxes altogether.
On Taxes, and a Marriage Unrecognized
About 40% of the taxes on this estate are those assessed by the State of New York. Hence, the same state which, unlike most other states, recognizes same sex marriage is prepared to tax the daylights out of every marriage. This is because New York taxes estates at the death of the first spouse, including same sex marriages. The rest of the estate taxes are federal. These estate taxes were enacted under a President who recently endorsed same sex marriage, unlike his predecessor, who never endorsed same sex marriage but did persuade the Congress to repeal federal estate taxes altogether.