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
To Give or Not to Give: Considerations for Year-End Gifting
In this second installment of our multi-part series on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the “Act”), my colleague David Knutson and I discuss the changes made by the Act to the federal estate and gift tax regime....more
The IRS recently issued the 2025 annual adjustments for numerous tax provisions, including changes to tax brackets and standard deductions. Popular adjustments include: - Estates of decedents who die during 2025 will have...more
Estate planning is a lot like putting together a puzzle. The client provides you with their box lid showing what they want the ultimate result of their plan to look like. Then, estate planners are tasked to identify and...more
The federal estate and gift tax exemption is the highest it has ever been. Under current law, you may transfer almost $14 million to anyone you wish without having to pay a dime of federal gift or estate tax. Absent any...more
Individuals considering moving to the United States should be aware of the tax consequences of becoming a U.S. resident and take advantage of tax planning opportunities before moving here. George McCormick discusses these...more
In establishing and funding an irrevocable trust, a common question is who is responsible for the income tax liabilities associated with the trust? Many individuals assume that the trust is a separate and independent...more
In the movie The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Inspector Clouseau asks a hotel clerk standing near a dog whether his dog bites. The clerk says no. Clouseau reaches down to pet the dog. The dog bites his hand....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 federal tax laws are certainly about to change. With the need to raise revenue as a top priority for the Biden Administration, everyone is expecting dramatic changes to the Internal Revenue Code. Tax legislation is...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
In this second blog post on the House Ways and Means Tax proposals, we address the proposed changes that will affect the taxation of trusts, estates, and retirement plans. As we discussed, on September 13, 2021, the...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
You may have heard by now that the Gift and Estate Tax exemption amount was increased by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which became effective on January 1, 2018. This article is to highlight some of the key estate...more
Traditional estate plans written under pre-2017 tax laws may generate significant and unnecessary income tax liability for heirs. The adoption of the 2017 Tax Act raised the federal estate tax exemption to approximately...more
Congress's recent increase in the federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer ("GST") tax exemption to $10 million per person adjusted annually for inflation ($11.18 million in 2018) is a welcome sweetener for many...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
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
For the first time in more than 30 years, the countdown to the New Year was also the countdown to major revisions to the tax code. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Act) became law in late December 2017 and contains sweeping changes...more
After much wrangling and dealmaking, both houses of Congress have passed bills making substantial changes to federal tax law. Although it's not entirely certain, it seems likely that there will shortly be agreement on a tax...more
In 2016, we continued to experience a period of relative stability in our federal transfer tax system and have been able to plan without expecting imminent significant changes to the system. Under the American Taxpayer Relief...more