Family charged ‘death tax’ for baby who lived one hour

…an application of on aphorism about the inevitability of death and taxes. In this case only living one hour is not an excuse for dodging the taxman.

Olivia Clark lived for only one hour. Doctors didn’t even expect her to survive birth. Now her family has a hard time understanding why the King County Medical Examiner has to review her death and charge $50.

“With Olivia, there was so much love in that room and we knew it was going to be such a short time,” says her grandmother, Diana Clark. “That was probably the most joyous hour that I’ve experienced.”

Her grandparents say Olivia was polycystic and, as a result, her lungs never developed. So, her short life was a miracle….

“There was a little line on there near the bottom of the bill that said ‘King county death tax: $50.’ And we looked at that, and looked at that and looked at each other and said ‘what is that?’ Couldn’t believe that a little girl that lived for an hour has to pay a $50 tax,” said Larry.

Brings to mind a bit of old Beatles music:

Don’t ask me what I want it for,
If you don’t want to pay some more.
‘Cause I’m the taxman,
Yeah, I’m the taxman.

Now my advice for those who die,
Declare the pennies on your eyes.
‘Cause I’m the taxman,
Yeah, I’m the taxman.

— George Harrison