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Farms can already be exempted from estate taxes. That was written into the law years ago. There's only one important condition for that exemption, though: b>In order to qualify for the exemption you have to keep operating the property as a farm.

So if you ever hear someone complain that "we have to sell the farm that's been in the family for generations, in order to pay the estate taxes," what they're not telling you is that they belong to first generation of the family that has no interest in farming.

I hear this crap all the time from people in their 40s and 50s who are doctors, lawyers, corporate executives, etc. -- and they go through this "poor old farm family" nonsense to garner sympathy because they don't want to do what it takes to qualify for a major tax exemption.

Farms can already be exempted from estate taxes.

I'm not saying you are categorically wrong BUT the exemption that I know for the circumstances and provisos you give does NOT EQUAL exemption from estate tax! Instead it allows added time (15 years) to pay the estate tax WHEN the estate assets have a minimum of 35% agriculture AND the inheritors will continue to 'farm'.

BUT while I DO agree that most farms are under even that $5 million threshold, there is no inflation clause and that is the LEFT's greatest weapon here! Remember when $3k was a lot of money and logical for an investment loss annual limit? I don't but it sure hasn't changed in decades!