If you think death only takes away the ability to spend money, I have some bad news for you. In any case, in the US the estate tax and the gift tax are basical

If you think death only takes away the ability to spend money, I have some bad news for you. In any case, in the US the estate tax and the gift tax are basically the same thing, so rich people can give the same millions to their kids either before or after they die and pay basically the same taxes: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57272 https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57272