Most closely held businesses, whether organized as a C or S corporation, LLC or partnership, have (or should have) a buy-sell agreement. A buy-sell agreement addresses what happens to an owner’s interest in the business when...more
On June 6, 2024, in the case of Connelly v. United States, the United States Supreme Court determined that corporate-owned life insurance proceeds used to redeem a decedent’s shares in the corporation must be included when...more
6/26/2024
/ Business Succession ,
Buy-Sell Agreements ,
Closely Held Businesses ,
Connelly v United States ,
Estate Planning ,
Estate Tax ,
Fair Market Value ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Life Insurance ,
Redemption Agreement ,
SCOTUS ,
Shareholders ,
Small Business ,
Survivorship
A supplemental needs trust (SNT) is an important estate planning tool for those with a special needs child. It ensures that your special needs child is taken care of after you are gone. Unlike other types of trusts, assets...more
New York has an “estate tax cliff,” which can result in heirs paying New York estate tax at a rate exceeding 100%. The current per-person NYS estate tax exemption is $6.94 million, which is the amount you can leave to your...more
The current combined federal estate and gift tax exemption amount of $13.61 million per person ($27.22 million per married couple) is scheduled to “sunset” automatically on January 1, 2026, and revert to $5 million indexed...more
The federal estate and gift tax exemption (the combined amount you can give away to beneficiaries other than your spouse or charities during life and at death without paying gift or estate tax) is increasing to $13.61 million...more
Did you know that actions can be taken after you die (i.e., post-mortem) to achieve the best results possible for your testamentary plan? Some estate plans are intentionally structured to give your beneficiaries and your...more
I am often asked about the difference between wills and revocable trusts, so I thought it important to explain the purpose of each.
Wills and revocable trusts basically do the same thing – each is a document in which you...more
Oh, the things you hear at cocktail parties: “Everyone should have a revocable trust,” “It’s easy to change your residence to Florida for tax purposes – just count days and get a Florida license,” “Make all your trusts...more
What is one of the things that kids from a first marriage worry about when their parent re-marries? The “evil” step-parent getting it all, of course. Many parents struggle with the problem of alleviating the fears of their...more
As we turn the calendar to 2023 and the holiday gift-giving season is behind us, now is the time to consider this year’s changes to the estate and gift tax exemption. You may recall from earlier columns that the estate and...more
Your friendly neighborhood branch banker suggests that you change all your accounts to either joint with your kids or to name your kids as beneficiaries on all your accounts (a “pay on death” beneficiary...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
Crypto assets (such as non-fungible tokens, or NFTS) and cryptocurrencies (such as bitcoin) are types of digital assets, which are typically transmitted by means of blockchain technology. (I know, this makes my brain hurt,...more
New York has an “estate tax cliff,” which can result in heirs paying New York estate tax at a rate exceeding 100%. The current per-person NYS estate tax exemption is $6.11 million, which is the amount you can leave to your...more
We were all set for big changes in the federal estate and gift tax laws last year and, by the end of the year, almost nothing changed. Who knows what changes will ultimately come down the pike when Congress finally becomes...more
With the prospect of estate tax exemptions going down and estate tax rates going up, it’s a good time to consider using life insurance as a hedge against potential estate taxes. One way to do that is to add an Irrevocable...more
Every U.S. citizen may gift, during life or at death, assets to his or her children free of federal estate or gift tax up to an aggregate amount – frequently called the “exemption amount.” The exemption amount in 2021 is...more
Discussing your estate plan with your adult children can feel like a daunting task. You want your children to be ready for the responsibilities that wealth entails, but you’re not sure you’re ready to disclose your finances...more
Sometimes, the terms of an irrevocable trust (one that cannot be amended or revoked) were fine at the time the trust was created, but subsequent events or circumstances make the terms of the old trust impractical, unwanted,...more
President Biden’s proposed changes to the Internal Revenue Code, known as the American Families Plan, was unveiled at the end of April 2021. These changes are intended to accomplish three goals: (1) fund the government’s...more
Oftentimes, in the summer, we return to the topic of changing your residence for state tax purposes. There are five factors which the tax authorities will look to in determining whether someone has changed their residency. ...more