(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Congressman Dennis Moore (Third District-KS) this week introduced legislation that would reduce and simplify the estate tax for millions of Americans.

“America encourages all citizens to work hard to build wealth,” said Moore. “When this happens, Congress shouldn’t turn around and take most of it back with an estate tax. It hurts the growth of small business, and it’s not fair to those who work hard so they can leave something for their children.”

In recent years Congress has taken steps to ease estate tax burdens. These measures provide a complicated series of tax credits and exemptions, and address only family businesses and farms, not personal estates. Additionally, instead of providing immediate relief, current law phases in limited relief over a period of seven years. Eligible businesses and farms can receive the credit only if they fill out a complex set of paperwork. Since the reduction is provided over a period of time, the real value of the credit actually decreases over time.

“Congress has done some things right, but they made it very hard for eligible estates to get what they were promised,” said Moore. “We need to simplify it, clarify it, expand it, and make it permanent, and we need to do it immediately.”

Moore’s bill would: 1) Immediately cut the estate tax by raising the unified credit to $3 million per individual for all taxpayers; 2) simplify the tax code by eliminating the complex and burdensome small-business exclusion formula; and 3) provide greater equity in determining the rate of estate taxation by applying the same credit to all classes of taxpayers.

“My bill is also free of unwelcome surprises awaiting taxpayers in other estate tax bills,” continued Moore. “Unlike some proposals before Congress, it would not ease the estate tax burden only to hit taxpayers with increased capital gains liability. Nor would my bill rob Peter to pay Paul by raising taxes on other Americans to help fund estate tax relief.”

“I want to provide tax relief, and I want to do so without making Americans jump through hoops or wait 10 years to get it,” said the congressman.