> Captives and slaves, which kidnapped children are the first and often also the second, can be either tools or status symbols (or both simultaneously). Yes, t

> Captives and slaves, which kidnapped children are the first and often also the second, can be either tools or status symbols (or both simultaneously). Yes, that's true. But that's the wrong side of the transaction. This IRS policy is disincentivizing false kidnapping. Not actual kidnapping. The IRS policy is designed to prevent you from claiming a child as a dependent indefinitely after they have been kidnapped. So, for this to be a Veblen good, it'd have to be a status symbol in your social circle to have had a child kidnapped from you.