Estate Tax
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Estate Planning to Ensure Gifts are Tax Free
Many people who make Estate Planning gifts are giving away assets that don’t have obvious market prices. Because the gift tax is based on the value of an asset, these people have to be careful. When the donor places a value on an asset and makes the maximum tax-free gift, the IRS later can step […]
Beware of State Estate and Inheritance Taxes
Many people are resting easy about estate taxes because of the $5 million federal estate tax exemption. They shouldn’t. Only 27 states have no estate or inheritance taxes. Of the 23 states with the taxes, most impose them at lower levels then the federal tax. Also, because of budget problems, a number of states imposed […]
Maximizing Tax-Free Gifts for Estate Planning
Stock prices are down. Real estate still is on the floor in many areas. Family members probably could use some financial help. The estate and gift tax exemptions are higher. Add those facts, and you find this is a great time to do spme Estate Planning and give away assets to loved ones, avoiding estate […]
Reviewing Gift Tax Return Estate Planning Basics
Your estate may need to file gift tax returns even when gift taxes aren’t due. The IRS is cracking down on failures to file gift tax returns, with help from state databases. The IRS is checking state records of real estate transfers and matching those with gift tax returns, or the lack of them. Over […]
Changing Your Estate Planning Strategy Under the New Tax Law
One of the major surprises in the December 2010 estate tax law is known as portability. Under the old law (and the law that is scheduled to return in 2013 if Congress doesn’t act before then) each person had a lifetime estate tax exemption with a use-it-or-lose-it feature. If your estate didn’t use all your […]
Updating Estate Plans for the New Tax Law
It’s time to pull out your estate plan, make an appointment with your planner, and begin a thorough review. Congress finally pass-ed a new estate tax last December, and each of us should revise our wills and other documents to reflect the changes. The changes are only for 2011 and 2012, but you need to […]
Estate Planning to Make Gifts While Avoiding Taxes
The estate tax is suspended for 2010, but the gift tax still is in place and will remain when the estate tax is restored. An advantage to adjusting your Estate Planning and making gifts in 2010 is the gift tax rate is its lowest in decades: 35%. Also the generation-skipping tax is repealed for the […]
Knowing How Much of Your Estate to Give and When
The major issues in your estate plan are deciding who should receive your assets and how they should receive them (directly or through trusts, for example). Two other important issues that don’t receive as much attention are: How much wealth should you transfer sooner rather than later, and when should you give it? While these […]
