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
As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the estate and gift tax exemption was doubled for tax years 2018-2025. In 2018, the exemption doubled from $5.49 million in 2017 to $11.18 million in 2018, and that amount has been...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
You may have heard of Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (“SLATS”) lately, especially if you have been thinking about using your federal estate and gift tax exemption before it goes down, whether sooner or later. In the estate...more
The election is only weeks away, and with it is likely to come significant changes to the tax code. Many economists anticipate that, regardless of the outcome, there will likely be tax increases to reduce the federal deficit,...more
It has been said that you can predict anything but the future. So it is with estate and tax planning. That being said, let’s look to see what some of the tax law changes might be in 2021 and beyond....more
In the wake of COVID-19, we may see significant statutory changes to the federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax exemptions. Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts and other planning techniques provide...more
Below is a brief glance of what you'll find in the July/August 2019 issue of The Estate Planner. SLATs offer an estate planning safety net - Can multiple trusts be used to maximize the pass-through deduction? -...more
Increase in Exemption from Estate, Gift and Generation-Skipping Transfer Taxes - On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Act") was signed into law. The Act implements a variety of significant tax reforms....more
In This Issue: - The spousal lifetime access trust: A safety net in uncertain times - Be prepared for a triggering event: If you own interests in a closely held business, consider a buy-sell agreement - Is your...more
There’s a lot of uncertainty about the future of the federal estate tax regime — in particular the $5.12 million federal gift and estate tax exemption set to expire. A spousal lifetime access trust (SLAT) can provide a...more