Description:
This work explores the role of the Brazilian inheritance system in the country's wealth inequality. Brazilian Civil Law has encouraged the transmission of inheritance to children due to the rule of forced heir. Data from household surveys show that the top 5% richest Brazilians have fewer children and more capital to transmit to their heirs under minimal taxation, as legislative research evidenced, especially during the military dictatorship (1964-1988), when only transmissions of real estate were taxed. After addressing the underreport of the poorest families in the income tax database, this study estimates that the top 1% richest held 25,6% of the total income, 35,4% of the total net wealth, and 80,9% of reported inheritances in 2019.