Few spouses recognize that just as you can make annual trust gifts for other family members that are excluded from federal gift and estate tax, you can also make annual tax excluded gifts to your spouse. These spousal tax excluded gifts are often an overlooked opportunity b ...
A Pandemic Perspective on the Future of Estate Planning
We thought as a generation we had weathered everything life could throw at us. We endured the Cold War, Vietnam, Watergate, two Gulf Wars, 9/11, and a Great Recession. We were ready to relax and enjoy retirement. Then, from nowhere, came the Covid-19 pandemic. As estate ...
2018 Estate and Trust Tax Planning
Inflation Adjustments and Initial Observations on the 2017 Tax Act’s Impacts: In late October, the Internal Revenue Service issued its inflation-adjusted exemptions, exclusions and tax brackets to be used for 2018 federal tax returns. See generally, Internal Revenue Notice 2 ...
Becoming A Personal Representative: Begin With The End In Mind
A Personal Representative is the individual who is appointed to carry out all of the duties of collecting a decedent’s assets, paying the decedent’s outstanding obligations, and distributing the remaining property to the decedent’s legatees or heirs. When you become a Person ...