The tax relief bill passed by Congress and signed by the President in 2001 included a provision to gradually phase-out the unfair estate tax – one of the steepest and most confiscatory of all taxes. Unfortunately, because of an unusual procedure under which the legislation was considered in the Senate, this law will “sunset” in 2011 which means that the estate tax will be back in full force in less than ten years unless Congress takes steps to make that repeal permanent. A bill in the House, HR 8, providing for a full repeal of the estate tax recently passed and must now be considered in the Senate. This has been a top priority for the business community as well as for many in Congress, including the Administration. While it is unclear whether the Senate has the votes to pass a full and permanent repeal, both chambers are currently negotiating a workable solution to this unfair tax problem.