Now’s the time to review your GST tax exposure Absent congressional action this year, the federal gift and estate exemption and the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption (currently $13.99 million) are scheduled...more
In 2018, as part of the “Trump tax cuts,” the federal estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption was increased to $11,180,000, with annual increases for inflation. Today, the exemption stands at...more
As we will see shortly, it is often “better to give than to receive,” though this statement begs the obvious question of whether it is better to do so during one’s lifetime or upon one’s death. Many well-to-do individuals...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
There is one common law rule that haunts most law students, and many legal practitioners: “no interest is good unless it must vest, if at all, not later than twenty-one years after some life in being at the creation of the...more
The basic exclusion amount is the total amount that an individual may pass by gifts made during his or her lifetime or by devises and bequests at his or her death without liability for federal estate, gift or generation...more
What you need to know: On September 13, 2021, the House Ways and Means Committee released its proposed tax plan to fund President Biden’s $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better” social and economic spending package. If enacted as...more
The House Ways and Means Committee recently proposed new draft federal tax legislation that would dramatically affect the Private Wealth area. Many of the changes are time sensitive. Thankfully, unlike previously publicized...more
“President Biden and Democrats in the Congress have been working on a $3.5 trillion spending and tax package, and the details are starting to be revealed. Indeed, on Sunday, September 12th, the House Ways and Means Committee...more
Four months into the 117th United States Congress, the anticipated federal legislative proposals to restructure the federal estate tax are finally seeing the light of day. Senator Bernie Sanders and others recently...more
Blank Rome’s annual estate and tax planning newsletter discusses certain concepts and techniques that should be considered in 2021 by our clients and friends in California. We first discuss perhaps the most important recent...more
As the 2020 presidential and congressional elections approach, individuals should consider taking proactive steps in their wealth management by strategically aligning their financial goals with the incentives currently...more
The federal gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemptions are at an all-time high—currently $11.58 million for individuals and $23.16 million for married couples—but may not remain so for long. Some...more
On November 6, the IRS announced the official estate and gift exclusion amounts for 2020 in Revenue Procedure 2019-44. For an estate of any decedent dying during calendar year 2020, the applicable exclusion is increased from...more
The Generation-Skipping Transfer (“GST”) tax is designed to prevent taxpayers from avoiding estate tax on a child’s inheritance at the child’s death by “skipping” inheritances over children to grandchildren. Each person...more
I. INTRODUCTION - This outline is a selective and evolving review of the history of the modern federal estate tax. It originated during the attempts to repeal the estate tax in President Clinton’s second term and...more
In 2018, each person has a lifetime gift tax exemption of $11,180,000 and a lifetime generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption amount of $11,180,000. In addition to these lifetime exemption amounts, a donor may make...more
May Interest Rates for GRATs, Sales to Defective Grantor Trusts, Intra-Family Loans and Split Interest Charitable Trusts - The May § 7520 rate for use with estate planning techniques such as CRTs, CLTs, QPRTs and GRATs is...more
Under the new tax law enacted effective January 1, 2018, Congress doubled the gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer (GST) exemptions. Based on inflation adjustment information available at that time, those amounts...more