Once Removed Episode 19: The Step-Transaction Doctrine and the Case of Smaldino
Once Removed Episode 18: The Reciprocal Trust Doctrine
Once Removed Episode 16: Gift and Estate Tax, Inflation Adjustments for 2024
Once Removed Episode 17: Annual Gifting to Individuals: Options, Opportunities and Pitfalls
To Give or Not to Give: Considerations for Year-End Gifting
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 nearly doubled the federal lifetime gift and estate tax exemption. In 2024, this act currently allows individuals to transfer up to $13.61 million per person and $27.22 million per...more
The IRS adjusts tax brackets and other tax-related amounts for inflation on an annual basis. Based data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics through August 2024, experts have projected the following adjustments to some of...more
It is important to update your trust and estate plan regularly to protect your interests and meet the changing requirements of your future while integrating changes in law and best practices to provide for every potential...more
Non-Americans who wish to purchase U.S. real estate should be aware of the tax consequences of owning real estate here. George McCormick discusses these tax issues and steps to minimize their impact....more
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) enacted significant changes in the federal estate and gift tax laws commencing in 2018. One of the most notable changes was that the TCJA doubled the federal lifetime gift tax...more
Understanding the nuances of the Internal Revenue Code (I.R.C.) is crucial for effective estate planning and tax strategy. For example, estate planners must be familiar with the tax basis adjustment provisions in 26 U.S.C. §...more
The American housing market is grappling with escalating interest rates and limited inventory, pricing many Americans out of home ownership. Massachusetts’s senior Senator Elizabeth Warren seeks to address this issue in the...more
Individuals considering moving to the United States should be aware of the tax consequences of becoming a U.S. resident and take advantage of tax planning opportunities before moving here. George McCormick discusses these...more
Real estate business owners face unique challenges that many business owners in other industries do not experience. The real estate market climbs and falls, contractor fees and material costs rise with inflation, and high...more
Financial markets, political moods, and the world-at-large can take us on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. But savvy investors (and their estate planning counsel) know that – in the end – neither the bears nor bulls...more
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 provided major changes to the Internal Revenue Code, specifically doubling the federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption (collectively, the exemption) from...more
In addition to the federal estate tax, which may be levied upon a decedent’s estate, New York imposes a separate state estate tax regime. Generally a decedent’s estate is subject to the New York State estate tax if such...more
In a significant legislative shift, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 doubled the exemption amounts for estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes (collectively known as “Death Taxes”). As of 2024, the federal...more
The number of taxpayers seeking the benefits of Qualified Small Business Stock (“QSBS”) has picked up steam in recent years, particularly since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) lowered the federal corporate tax rates to...more
The purpose of this post, part three of our “Estate Planning for the Business Owner” series, is to provide a sample using real numbers showing the impact and benefit of using closely held business interests in lifetime...more
The value of an asset at the time of a transfer is the key component to the United States’ transfer tax system. Gratuitous transfers during lifetime are considered gifts, while transfers as a result of the death of the owner...more
Do you employ an irrevocable trust or trusts as part of your estate plan? You need to review your irrevocable trust to ensure it still delivers the benefits intended. It is generally possible to modify an irrevocable trust,...more
On the last workday of the year, December 29, 2023, the IRS issued a Chief Counsel Memorandum adding a wrinkle to one of the most estate planning techniques – to give assets away for estate tax purposes but not income tax...more
Because each donor is treated as a separate party for tax and other purposes, donors often involve others in making gifts. For example, a donor might transfer assets to his or her spouse, so the spouse actually makes the gift...more
The estate tax is a tax on transferring assets from a deceased person to their heirs or beneficiaries. The federal estate tax in the United States is imposed on the transfer of the taxable estate of every decedent who is a US...more
This podcast often discusses the elements of a trust, and how to grant access, control and flexibility to beneficiaries and trustees. But for tax and other purposes, the donor typically cannot retain those kinds of powers. ...more
In 2024, the federal estate, gift, and Generation Skipping Transfer tax exemption amount increased from $12.92 million to $13.61 million per individual (a combined $27.22 million for a married couple), representing an...more
Death and taxes are often jokingly said to be two of the only unavoidable things in life. Unfortunately, taxes are also unavoidable when someone passes away. When administering an estate or trust after someone’s death, three...more
Each year, certain estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (“GST”) tax figures are subject to inflation adjustments that go in effect on January 1. Below are the current adjustments for 2024....more
On January 1, 2024, the amounts that individuals can gift free of federal gift and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax rose to $13,610,000 for individuals and $27,220,000 for married couples due to inflation adjustments....more