@macuser_22
You wrote: "Congress (in it's wisdom) created a law that taxed that income at the parents tax rate (which was changed to the cap. gains rate in 2018)."
Can you tell me why you think this? You're the second person who I've seen summarize the TCJA change in the 8615 tax in this way. But, as far as I can tell, under TCJA, the way a "child's" income is taxed depends on the kind of income it is. A "child's" EARNED income is taxed in accordance with her own brackets, UNEARNED income FROM THINGS BESIDES qualified dividends and LTCG (such as RMDs from an inherited retirement account) is taxed according to trust brackets (which hit 37% at $12,500 as opposed to $500,000 for an individual), and UNEARNED income from QUALIFIED DIVIDENDS and LTCG is taxed according to trust brackets (but given the standard preferential treatment, so no higher than 20%). I'd love to be wrong about this, so please convince me! Thank you!
