Once Removed Episode 19: The Step-Transaction Doctrine and the Case of Smaldino
Once Removed Episode 18: The Reciprocal Trust Doctrine
Charitable Planning With Guest Stephanie Hood: Navigating Complex Rules and Traps for the Unwary
Once Removed Episode 16: Gift and Estate Tax, Inflation Adjustments for 2024
Once Removed Episode 17: Annual Gifting to Individuals: Options, Opportunities and Pitfalls
Once Removed Episode 12: SLATs and the Case of McKim vs. McKim
Once Removed Episode 11: Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts, or SLATs
Once Removed Episode 10: Trustee Removal and Case Update on Leo Kahn Revocable Trust
(A)ESOP's Fables - The Income and Estate Tax-Free ESOP
The Renoir Spelling Bee
Taking the Sting Out of Death Taxes with Dylan Metzner, Jones & Keller
RETURN TO FOREVER - What Game Shall We Play Today?
To Give or Not to Give: Considerations for Year-End Gifting
INTRODUCING MALTA SPLIT DOLLAR
THE PAPER CHASE
With a Little Help from My Friends
The Greatest Gift: Your Individual + Family Estate Plan
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions are set to sunset at the end of calendar year 2025. With this sunset on the horizon, those involved in the farming and agribusiness industries may want to take note and adjust their...more
On June 6, 2024, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in in Connelly, As Executor of the Estate of Connelly v. United States, (602 US ________). The decision involves the application of the federal estate tax...more
This is The End- I have dreaded the year end for as long as I can remember. As a teenager and then as a young adult I associated the final quarter of the year, and especially the period beginning on Thanksgiving and...more
It’s not enough for the founder of a closely held business to have successfully established the business. The business has to grow, not only to increase profits, but also to make it more competitive and to diversify its...more
Estate Tax – It’s a Killer- One of the reasons often given for eliminating the estate tax is the substantial economic burden it places upon the estate of a deceased business owner and upon the business itself. Specifically,...more
Counting the Days?- We are 302 days away from the national mid-term elections, to be held November 8, 2022, yet the first full week of the new year has already highlighted some of the economic issues with which the...more
It was quite a week, wasn’t it?- Manchin- Senator Manchin continued to attract a lot of attention. To the dismay of his fellow Democrats, the West Virginian – who also chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources...more
The Democrats of the House of Representatives have released a much-anticipated tax plan that would significantly impact the federal estate and gift tax system. Importantly, the House could still amend this legislation and the...more
Summertime in Washington- On August 11, the Senate passed the $3.5 trillion budget resolution for the 2021-2022 fiscal year – S. Con. Res. 14, as amended – by a vote of 50 to 49, strictly along party lines, including...more
A Night to Remember? Did you listen to the President’s speech last Wednesday? He addressed a joint session of Congress to pitch the Administration’s $1.8 trillion American Families Plan. Due to COVID-related...more
Here are five things to remember when performing the valuation of shares of a closely held entity for gift and estate tax reporting...more
We recently wrote about a window of opportunity to take advantage of the rising estate and gift tax exemption before it sets. It is becoming clearer that the window may be shutting fast. The opportunity to take advantage...more
Closely-held businesses come in all shapes and sizes. Some owners own 100% of their businesses. Some have partners. Some have children in the business. Some do not. A common question that a client asks the business and...more
What a Week- There is no denying that last week’s political events were historic; one can only hope they were aberrational. The week began with the Sunday New York Times publishing a story in which it claimed to have...more
“The board is set. The pieces are moving. We come to it at last.” With these words, Gandalf the White acknowledged that the decisive battle for control over Middle Earth had been joined. So it is now for the U.S....more
Peter, Paul, and Mary have done well for themselves. Each has a nice home, a seasonal residence, and a large IRA. Coincidentally, each also has an additional $11 million worth of real estate, savings, brokerage accounts, and...more
Politics and Wealth Inequality- As we approach the presidential convention season, and the election campaign that will follow, the thoughts of many business owners have turned to the federal estate tax, and for good...more
Imagine, if you will, the owner of a closely held business. Although the business has done well, the owner believes they can take it to the proverbial “next level” by dedicating another five years of intense effort and some...more
A Time for Planning? It’s late August – again. As usual, many business owners are looking forward to having all of their employees back at work and ready to make the final push for a successful year. Others, nearing...more
The tax changes recently signed into law increased the exemption from federal estate and gift taxes to about twice the prior level. Even though the increase is temporary and will expire at the end of 2025, it changes some of...more
December 20, 2017 President Trump intends to sign into law H.R. 1 (the act), the most comprehensive change to the Internal Revenue Code since 1986. The text of the act numbers nearly 500 pages. What follows is a brief summary...more
Who is the Better Planner for Your Affairs: You or the State? Planning for succession of a closely held business is a lot like making a will. An individual has the opportunity to make a will which directs how the...more
In 2016, we continued to experience a period of relative stability in our federal transfer tax system and have been able to plan without expecting imminent significant changes to the system. Under the American Taxpayer Relief...more
Shareholders, Partners and/or LLC members of any closely-held or family-held company should check the buy-sell formula contained in their Shareholder Agreement (sometimes called a Buy-Sell Agreement), Partnership Agreement or...more
For family business owners who desire to transfer ownership of part of their business to the next generation, the valuation of the business interest is often an important factor to consider. This is especially true for family...more