Have you thought of including your local government in your will? Why would I do this you say. The topic of a death or wealth tax is usually guaranteed to raise a lot of discussion and outrage from some oldies: I have paid my taxes to the full and I have no intention of giving anything more to the Government. All my money is going to my children when I die.
The question then becomes: Is it fair and reasonable for retirees to take advantage of all the public services available to them – for, perhaps, 25 or more years, for free or at minimum cost? The majority of these services were put in place before the period of retirement extended out to the present quarter of a lifetime. And public services are often used more by retirees than by those still working. Consider the upkeep of roads, water and electrical supplies, waste disposal, sewerage, passenger transport, ambulances, hospitals, government advisory services, mail services, telephones, police, and so on. As the percentage of retired people in the population increases year by year, the cost of maintaining all these services has to be born by a decreasing percentage of the population still working and paying taxes. Public services have had to expand to cover the increase in the retired demographic, and the increased financial burden is being carried by the workers. Is that fair?
Once again, as I see it, there is an inability, perhaps a reluctance, by governments, both State and Federal, to tackle the implications of the burgeoning population of retirees. This is a discussion we must have before the country goes broke.
Renaissance not Retirement 