diff --git a/moto/core/utils.py b/moto/core/utils.py
index 21ac8c2e8..86e7632b0 100644
--- a/moto/core/utils.py
+++ b/moto/core/utils.py
@@ -286,12 +286,3 @@ def amzn_request_id(f):
         return status, headers, body
 
     return _wrapper
-
-
-def merge_taglists(taglist_a, taglist_b):
-    ''' Merges two tag lists into a single tag list with Keys in the second list taking precedence'''
-    tags_a = {t['Key']: t for t in taglist_a}
-    tags_b = {t['Key']: t for t in taglist_b}
-    merged_tags = tags_a.copy()
-    merged_tags.update(tags_b)
-    return merged_tags.values()
diff --git a/moto/rds2/models.py b/moto/rds2/models.py
index b85fe8b05..b37306b12 100644
--- a/moto/rds2/models.py
+++ b/moto/rds2/models.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ from moto.compat import OrderedDict
 from moto.core import BaseBackend, BaseModel
 from moto.core.utils import get_random_hex
 from moto.core.utils import iso_8601_datetime_with_milliseconds
-from moto.core.utils import merge_taglists
 from moto.ec2.models import ec2_backends
 from .exceptions import (RDSClientError,
                          DBInstanceNotFoundError,
@@ -418,10 +417,10 @@ class Database(BaseModel):
 
 
 class Snapshot(BaseModel):
-    def __init__(self, database, snapshot_id, tags=None):
+    def __init__(self, database, snapshot_id, tags):
         self.database = database
         self.snapshot_id = snapshot_id
-        self.tags = tags or []
+        self.tags = tags
         self.created_at = iso_8601_datetime_with_milliseconds(datetime.datetime.now())
 
     @property
@@ -712,8 +711,10 @@ class RDS2Backend(BaseBackend):
             raise DBSnapshotAlreadyExistsError(db_snapshot_identifier)
         if len(self.snapshots) >= int(os.environ.get('MOTO_RDS_SNAPSHOT_LIMIT', '100')):
             raise SnapshotQuotaExceededError()
-        if database.copy_tags_to_snapshot:
-            tags = merge_taglists(database.tags, tags)
+        if tags is None:
+          tags = list()
+        if database.copy_tags_to_snapshot and not tags:
+            tags = database.get_tags()
         snapshot = Snapshot(database, db_snapshot_identifier, tags)
         self.snapshots[db_snapshot_identifier] = snapshot
         return snapshot
@@ -810,13 +811,13 @@ class RDS2Backend(BaseBackend):
 
     def delete_database(self, db_instance_identifier, db_snapshot_name=None):
         if db_instance_identifier in self.databases:
+            if db_snapshot_name:
+                self.create_snapshot(db_instance_identifier, db_snapshot_name)
             database = self.databases.pop(db_instance_identifier)
             if database.is_replica:
                 primary = self.find_db_from_id(database.source_db_identifier)
                 primary.remove_replica(database)
             database.status = 'deleting'
-            if db_snapshot_name:
-                self.snapshots[db_snapshot_name] = Snapshot(database, db_snapshot_name)
             return database
         else:
             raise DBInstanceNotFoundError(db_instance_identifier)
diff --git a/moto/rds2/responses.py b/moto/rds2/responses.py
index 6b1da103b..66d4e0c52 100644
--- a/moto/rds2/responses.py
+++ b/moto/rds2/responses.py
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ class RDS2Response(BaseResponse):
     def create_db_snapshot(self):
         db_instance_identifier = self._get_param('DBInstanceIdentifier')
         db_snapshot_identifier = self._get_param('DBSnapshotIdentifier')
-        tags = self._get_param('Tags', [])
+        tags = self.unpack_complex_list_params('Tags.Tag', ('Key', 'Value'))
         snapshot = self.backend.create_snapshot(db_instance_identifier, db_snapshot_identifier, tags)
         template = self.response_template(CREATE_SNAPSHOT_TEMPLATE)
         return template.render(snapshot=snapshot)
diff --git a/tests/test_core/test_utils.py b/tests/test_core/test_utils.py
index 0fa4f3c59..8dbf21716 100644
--- a/tests/test_core/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_core/test_utils.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import sure  # noqa
 from freezegun import freeze_time
 
-from moto.core.utils import camelcase_to_underscores, underscores_to_camelcase, unix_time, merge_taglists
+from moto.core.utils import camelcase_to_underscores, underscores_to_camelcase, unix_time
 
 
 def test_camelcase_to_underscores():
@@ -28,28 +28,3 @@ def test_underscores_to_camelcase():
 @freeze_time("2015-01-01 12:00:00")
 def test_unix_time():
     unix_time().should.equal(1420113600.0)
-
-
-def test_merge_taglists():
-    taglist_a = [
-        {
-            'Key': 'foo',
-            'Value': 'bar',
-        },
-        {
-            'Key': 'foo1',
-            'Value': 'bar1',
-        },
-    ]
-    taglist_b = [
-        {
-            'Key': 'foo1',
-            'Value': 'bar1b',
-        },
-    ]
-    taglist_merged = merge_taglists(taglist_a, taglist_b)
-    len(taglist_merged).should.equal(2)
-    tag_foo = [t for t in taglist_merged if t['Key']=='foo']
-    tag_foo1 = [t for t in taglist_merged if t['Key']=='foo1']
-    tag_foo[0].should.equal({'Key': 'foo','Value': 'bar',})
-    tag_foo1[0].should.equal({'Key': 'foo1','Value': 'bar1b',})