Top Gun: Maverick - Core Estate Plan and Gifting Basics
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
Gift Tax Basics
NGE On Demand: GRAT Trusts with Eric Mann
To Give or Not to Give: Considerations for Year-End Gifting
The 2010 Tax Relief Act and your estate plan
In an effort to provide Americans with various forms of tax relief, in 2017 Congress enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”). This act provided tax reductions in many different categories, but one of the most...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
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
The start of a new year is a great time to review your current estate plan or consider creating one. 2024 brings a number of opportunities for creating an estate plan, pursuing gifting strategies, and considering...more
A New Year is upon us, it is an election year, and a rollback of the federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes is scheduled for the not too distant future. State and federal estate and gift taxes are an...more
As young family members head off to school or leave home for a job, parents and other relatives may wonder how they can continue to support a child or assist with health care or other decisions. Many parents are surprised...more
From time to time, we provide updates in the estate planning area. While the November 2022 federal elections resulted in a divided Congress that dampens the likelihood of major federal tax legislation, we thought this would...more
The gift tax annual exclusion and the gift and estate tax exemption increased significantly for 2023. Effective January 1, 2023, the following amounts may be helpful in considering estate planning options for the new year: ...more
As the end of the calendar year approaches, we would like to remind our clients of some year-end estate planning ideas to consider. A person can currently make annual gifts of up to US$16,000 per recipient to an unlimited...more
There are more estate planning opportunities as a result of inflation-adjusted figures recently released by the IRS. The gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer (“GST”) tax exemption amounts are each increasing to...more
The federal estate tax exemption provisions are set to expire at the end of 2025, potentially requiring more people to pay estate taxes. In view of the uncertainty of the estate tax laws, it is important to have estate...more
I have yet to meet a client who wants to pay estate taxes. Tax avoidance is among the primary reasons people meet with estate planning attorneys and develop estate plans. In 2022, the federal gift, estate, and generation...more
A critical estate planning decision is whether to transfer wealth during your lifetime or keep your assets in your estate and transfer your wealth to loved ones after your death. Some say it would be wise to make gifts now to...more
Even if your 2022 New Year's resolutions have long since gone by the wayside, as most have, now can and should be a time of renewed focus on family and self-betterment. In the midst of economic uncertainty, geopolitical...more
The Internal Revenue Service has announced that the annual gift tax exclusion is increasing next year due to inflation. After four years of being at $15,000, the exclusion will be $16,000 per recipient for 2022—the highest...more
The U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means’ tax proposals would significantly impact estate planning for high net worth individuals if enacted. Gift, estate and GST exemption amounts would be decreased; grantor trusts would...more
Democrats recently unveiled the Build Back Better Act, which, if passed, would bring significant changes to the Tax Code and would have a drastic impact on common estate planning techniques, including gifts to trusts. The...more
House Democrats recently released additional legislative proposals that, if passed, would affect several commonly used estate planning techniques. Among those proposals are three that would significantly impact some of the...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
Based on recent election results, attention has focused on what is in store for the federal transfer tax system. This article discusses the status of the current transfer tax laws and President Biden’s proposals for changes....more
Earlier this month, I provided a very brief overview of the estate tax in a vlog. In this blog post, I’ll expand on estate tax basics. What is the estate tax? At its foundation, the estate tax is a tax imposed on the...more
The amount that you can give to your children during life or leave to them after death estate tax-free currently is at a historically high level. As of January 1, 2021, an individual can give or leave $11.7 million and a...more
The U.S. imposes an estate tax of approximately 40% on the net estate of U.S. tax residents. The current exemption from estate tax is $11,700,000 per person, leaving very few estates actually subject to the tax. Under current...more
The holiday season is a time of giving! With Christmas arriving next week, you might be rushing to find last minute gifts for the special people in your life. Have you considered potential tax consequences of those gifts? ...more