I hate taxes.
And you want the Feds to tax my retirement accounts BEFORE I take the money out? Ha, good luck getting that passed.
An unrelated story. My uncle worked for General Electric for 35 years as an engineering assistant (no degree) and bought a little stock along the way. His wife hasn't worked since WWII. He died 30 years ago. She now collects about $1000/mo. from Social Security and the GE stock (and a much smaller amount of Phil. Gas & Elec.) is now worth almost a million. Of course she's taxed on part of her SS check.
I know GE stock has been especially successful over the years, but imagine what she'd have if all of his SS taxes had been invested in GE stock.
I'd like to have the $800k in estate taxes my other aunt and uncle's estate paid even though their money was tied up in 2 trust accounts. Good thing Delaware law allowed them to shelter a lot of it. He worked blue collar tech jobs for DuPont and also bought GM stock during WWII. They bought a little house in 1951 and stayed in it. (The trusts are sitting there in case, if, ever, my mother and her twin, the one with the GE stock, ever need the money. Doesn't look like they will, although my mom has just been diagnosed with mid-level Alzheimer's and secure care will chew through savings at $4k or $5k a month.)
John...still living the $41k fixer-upper I bought in 1980. The real estate taxes on the new assessment of $320k should be right around $325/mo., almost the size of my first mortgage payment. Good thing I only bought a 1350 sq.ft. house on a 25.5' x 90' lot.