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
On this episode of “Splitting Heirs,” Warren K. Racusin welcomes back Sharon L. Klein, President of Family Wealth for the Eastern US Region of Wilmington Trust Company and member of the Estate Planning Hall of Fame, to...more
With continuing uncertainty regarding the federal estate tax laws, the Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT) is a popular option that helps high net-worth individuals maintain flexibility while maximizing their financial...more
If you are in the process of long-term estate planning or updating an existing estate plan, the process for passing assets and accounts to your heirs is about to become much more difficult and expensive. Presently, each...more
This CLE/CPE webinar will provide estate planners insight on recently issued IRS guidance regarding basis adjustments for irrevocable grantor trusts. The panelist will discuss key items and challenges stemming from Revenue...more
There is a common misconception that life insurance benefits are not subject to estate tax. While the proceeds of a life insurance policy are not taxable income to the beneficiaries, they are part of a person’s taxable estate...more
A Beneficiary Intentionally Defective Irrevocable Trust (BIDIT) provides a unique planning opportunity because it allows a beneficiary to continue to benefit from his or her own assets while maintaining some level of control...more
For years, practitioners have freely used irrevocable trust decantings as a means to make various changes to irrevocable trusts without concern of giving rise to gift tax consequences. However, the Internal Revenue Service’s...more
When we think about making plans to secure our future, generally the discussions revolve around education, career, family, and finances. Creating a comprehensive estate plan, including effective advanced directives, can elude...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
If you own your principal residence, you may be able to benefit from its build-up in equity, realize current tax breaks and pocket a sizeable tax-exempt gain when you sell it. What’s more, from an estate planning perspective,...more
Under current law, assets acquired from a decedent receive an adjustment in cost basis to fair market value, thereby potentially eliminating significant unrealized gain. Although Congress has and likely will use this tax...more
In the last few decades, more and more U.S. families have been utilizing irrevocable trusts as part of their estate planning in order to protect their assets and manage their taxes in an efficient manner. Generally, assets...more
I received a call recently from a colleague looking to refer a client for a divorce. Our firm had done estate planning for the client and spouse, thus we were not eligible to represent either party in a marital break up as...more
A typical challenge encountered by estates of varying sizes and complexities is the lack of liquidity to cover the costs of estate administration. These expenses may satisfy just debts to creditors or estate tax payments. ...more
In establishing and funding an irrevocable trust, a common question is who is responsible for the income tax liabilities associated with the trust? Many individuals assume that the trust is a separate and independent...more
In a recently-issued Revenue Ruling (Rev Rul 2023-02), the IRS has held that the basis of the assets in an irrevocable grantor trust, where the assets are not included in the grantor’s gross estate for federal estate tax...more
The April Section 7520 rate for use with estate planning techniques such as CRTs, CLTs, QPRTs and GRATs is 5.0%. The April applicable federal rate (“AFR”) for use with a sale to a defective grantor trust or intra-family loan...more
On March 20, 2023, Senators Warren, Sanders, Van Hollen, and Whitehouse addressed a letter to Treasury Secretary Yellen in which they urged Yellen “to use [her] existing authority to limit the ultra-wealthy’s abuse of trusts...more
Earlier this year the stock market entered bear market territory. This happens when the market declines more than 20% or more from its most recent high. The market decline has been attributed to several factors including...more
Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts, or “SLATs,” may be the ideal vehicle for clients interested in pursuing wealth-transfer tax planning. A SLAT is an irrevocable trust created by one spouse for the primary benefit of the...more
You may have already recognized the benefits of using a living trust. Typically, this trust type makes sense if you’re looking to preserve assets for other family members without dire tax consequences or to avoid probate. But...more
Under the Internal Revenue Code’s “grantor trust” rules, the grantor of a trust may be treated as the “owner” of all or part of the trust. As such, the grantor is taxed on the trust’s income and reports its deductions...more
Tax Litigation: The Week of February 28, 2022, through March 4, 2022 - Shaddix v. Comm’r | TC Memo. 2022-11 | February 28, 2022 | Lauber, J. | Dkt No. 12683-20L - Estate of Kazmi v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2022-13| March 1,...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
It is said that two things are certain in life: death and taxes. True, but incomplete. What is missing from this short list is a third inevitable occurrence – tax law changes. We now have a new and pressing series of proposed...more