When people hear “death tax,” they think of the ultra-wealthy. But in Maryland, Steven Messmer argues there’s another one — the inheritance tax — and it mostly hits people without children or a traditional nuclear family.

In a recent commentary for Maryland Matters, Messmer explains how inheritances left to nieces, nephews, friends, or unmarried partners are taxed at 10%, while inheritances to spouses and direct descendants are exempt. The result: a policy that quietly penalizes single, child-free, and LGBTQ+ Marylanders, while raising very little revenue for the state.

Read the full article on Maryland Matters to see why Messmer says it’s time to repeal Maryland’s inheritance tax.