The Death Tax is coming

Words: Stephen BorgIf Congress does not act by December 31, 2012 the Death Tax will hit thousands more family-owned businesses.

As members of the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) we are asking you to contact your Member of Congress and Senators to urge them to pass legislation addressing the estate tax before the end of the year. Action is urgently needed to prevent the estate tax from saddling thousands of more family-owned businesses with a crippling tax increase.

Current estate tax law that provides for a $5million per person exemption, is indexed for inflation, and provides for spousal portability is set to expire if Congress fails to act. If current law expires, the estate tax would revert back to merely a $1 million exemption not indexed for inflation, with no spousal portability, and a top rate of 55%. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that 13 times more families, 20 times more farms, and 9 times more small businesses will be forced to pay the estate tax under this scenario.

While the MCAA has always supported and continues to support the full repeal of the estate tax, it is imperative that our members contact their Member of Congress to express that at a minimum, current law must be extended.

Congress must act by the end of 2012 to prevent this immense tax increase our nation’s small businesses and families and we urge that you contact your Member of Congress immediately to tell them to act on the Estate Tax. This tax increase would have a massive detrimental impact on our struggling economy and family-owned businesses and your voice must be heard.
About: Legislative
CMU Partitions: How Much Reinforcement Is Actually Required?
February 2026

Walk onto almost any job site and you’ll find masons laying out interior partitions much the same way they did decades ago. The work looks straightforward: stack the units, strike clean joints, and keep the wall plumb. And the function of these partitions

Technical Talks
Read More
MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Episode 37 Recap: Starling Johnson, VP of Sales at STALITE Lightweight Aggregate
February 2026

On this episode of the MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Starling Johnson joins the set in Indianapolis to talk about her path within masonry, sales in this industry, and life outside of work.

Justin Stengel
The MASONRY STRONG Podcast
Read More
Masonry Restoration: Why Walls Fail and How We Fix Them
February 2026

Masonry doesn’t crack. Old brick never has issues. Every masonry wall lasts 100 years or more… right? If only that were true. Masonry is one of the most durable building materials ever used, but like all construction, it responds to time, movement, mo

MAP Partner
Read More
MCAA President Jeff Buczkiewicz Testifies To Congress On AI In Masonry
February 2026

On February 11, 2026, Jeff Buczkiewicz, President and CEO of the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA), testified before the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. He spoke during a hearing titled “Building an AI-Ready America: Safer Workp

Legislative
Read More