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Friday, January 14, 2011

Baby Lives An Hour; Family Charged Death Tax

UNDATED - A Washington State family is incensed after being charged a "death tax." The Clarks were charged after for their baby daughter who was alive for just one hour.

Doctors didn't even expect Olivia Clark to survive birth because her lungs never fully developed, so her grandparents tell a Seattle TV station that even her living for an hour was a miracle.
 
When they received the hospital bill, they saw a 50-dollar charge on a line labeled "county death tax."
King County in Washington now has a medical examiner review every death.
 
The Clarks say they understand some deaths need to be investigated, but didn't think Olivia's did.
 
"Every time I turn around the county appears to be nickel and diming us, putting a tax on this and a tax on that. Where does it end?" Larry Clark tells King 5.

Source

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

the medical examiner earns a nice living. 50 dollars dosent go as far as it use to.

lmclain said...

"Where does it end..?" Answer? This is only the beginning. But, now that the state has acknowledged a living person, do they get the tax deduction, too? Might be worth more than the $50....

Anonymous said...

i really dont see the problem here. the two certain things in life are death and taxes. the government is finally being efficient and rolling them into one!

Anonymous said...

They should game the system back and declare her as a dependent on their 2010 taxes! I'm no accountant but they could easily ride off more than $50 worth if deductions.

Anonymous said...

It doesn't take "gaming the system". If the child is born alive, it is a dependent for the entire year. (From IRS).

Anonymous said...

Stop the damn over reaching over taxing government ! They spend to much and employ to many people. Get out of the private sectors way.