Reform CA Backs Signature Drive to Repeal Prop 19 “Death Tax”

Do you ever feel like California is taxing you to death? Or even after death?

If you’ve inherited property in California in the last few years, you’ve probably heard of the “Death Tax” — a provision put in place by Prop 19 in 2020 that effectively raises your property taxes on that inheritance. Now, opponents of the tax have filed an initiative to repeal Prop 19 in the 2024 election.

SIGN PETITION: Download “Repeal Death Tax” Petition

Carl DeMaio, chairman of Reform California, says the initiative will help make California more affordable and give families peace of mind about passing on their property.

“Under the current Death Tax, children and grandchildren that inherit properties see their property taxes spike to the point where they literally can’t afford them and they have to sell,” said DeMaio.

“Repealing the Prop 19 Death Tax will keep their tax rates low, help these families keep their properties for future generations, and make the pain of losing a loved one a little easier if massive tax hikes aren’t on their mind,” he continued.

The initiative, known as “Repeal the Death Tax,” was submitted by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) to the Office of the California Attorney General, and has been approved to begin collecting signatures to have it placed on the 2024 ballot. 

SIGN PETITION: Download “Repeal Death Tax” Petition

Specifically, the “Repeal the Death Tax” Initiative aims to reinstate the ability of parents to pass down their homes and certain properties to their children without triggering a reassessment of market value. 

In 2020, Proposition 19 eliminated safeguards against property reassessment that had been in place for almost 35 years. HJTA’s initiative seeks to restore the provisions of two voter-approved initiatives nullified by Prop 19. These initiatives are Prop 58, which granted a parent-child exclusion from reassessment when transferring property between generations, and Prop 193, which extended the same rights to grandparents and grandchildren in cases where the parents were deceased. 

“Prop 19 snuck these changes in under the radar, stating that it was a measure to protect wildfire victims and seniors looking to relocate — but California’s liberal politicians love using misleading ballot language to get you to raise your own taxes,” explained DeMaio, who is also leading a campaign at Reform California to expose deceptive and biased ballot titles.

The new “Repeal the Death Tax” Initiative does not alter the provisions on wildfire victims and relocation of seniors. But it does rectify and repeal the massive property tax increase on families dealing with the loss of a parent. 

“The tax-and-spend liberal politicians in Sacramento will never lower our taxes on their own,” said DeMaio. 

“That’s why we are urging all Californians to help the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers’ Association collect the signatures needed to qualify the measure to repeal the Death tax,” DeMaio urged.

“We have a chance to fight back and make California more affordable ourselves if we unite to repeal Prop 19 as quickly as possible — join the fight today,” DeMaio urged.