It is not uncommon for a trust to have been created for a surviving spouse under a Will or revocable trust, in order to keep the assets in that trust out of the surviving spouse’s estate for estate tax purposes, when the...more
On January 10th, 11th and 18th our tax attorneys ?hosted a "CPA Shoptalk" seminar in ?Portland, Vancouver and Bend. Below are ?some key takeaways to consider... 1. Partnership Audit Rules Post-TEFRA - The Balanced...more
Education Tax Credits - There are two tax credits available to help you offset the costs of higher education: the American opportunity credit and the lifetime learning credit. Tax credits are more favorable than deductions...more
In 2009, each individual had a $3.5 million estate tax exemption. If a married individual had assets over $3.5 million, without careful planning, those assets in excess of $3.5 million would fall subject to a 45% estate tax....more
When the President signed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, some observers thought that certain provisions would sound the death knell for a popular legal tax shelter strategy known as Credit Shelter Trusts (CST)....more
Prior to the recent and significant increases in the federal estate tax exemption amount, many clients engaged in planning the purpose of which was to ensure the use of both spouses’ exemption amount through the use of a...more
In This Issue: - Exemption portability: Should you rely on it? - Decant a trust to add trustee flexibility - Using the GST tax exemption to build a dynasty - Estate Planning Red Flag: Your plan includes a...more
The 2012 Tax Relief Act provides an exemption from federal estate tax of $5,250,000 inflation indexed per spouse that is portable between spouses. If the first spouse to die does not use in whole or in part her or his...more
As discussed in a previous article, due to higher estate tax exemption, certain trusts previously established for purposes of avoiding estate taxes under the estate plan of a predeceased spouse may no longer be necessary in...more