RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, under tax relief legislation passed in 2001, the estate tax was temporarily phased out but not permanently eliminated; and

WHEREAS, farmers and other small business owners will face losing their farms and businesses if the Federal Government resumes the heavy taxation of citizens at death; and

WHEREAS, this is a tax that is particularly damaging to families who are working their way up the ladder and trying to accumulate wealth for the first time; and

WHEREAS, employees suffer layoffs when small and medium businesses are liquidated to pay estate taxes; and

WHEREAS, having repeatedly passed in the United States House of Representatives and Senate, repeal of the estate tax holds wide bipartisan support; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the House of Representatives concurring, that the State of Hawaii's elected Representatives and Senators in the United States Congress are respectfully requested to support and work for the permanent repeal of the estate tax, or to otherwise amend the law to ease the burden of the estate tax on farmers and small businesses; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to each member of Hawaii's Congressional delegation.

Report Title:

Federal Estate Tax