Is securing a home equity loan a taxable event? Is securing a college loan? Is securing a car loan? What's different about the case for stock? The house, fu

Is securing a home equity loan a taxable event? Is securing a college loan? Is securing a car loan? What's different about the case for stock? The house, future earnings, and car are different sorts of collateral. If stock is different materially, then is margin trading a taxable event? Should municipalities incur income when they issue tax-backed bonds? Those tax-backed bonds have stock-like collateral. For all everyone loves to hate on borrow-die strategies, I have never seen anyone quantify the tax revenue "lost" to the "loophole". The actual loophole is the estate tax not applying to most people. Tax estates from $1 onward. That'll raise real funds and is arguably universally fair. Or, tax no estates which is also arguably fair. Either way reduces distortions in the tax code.