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
President Trump’s July 4th signing of the Opportunity, Balance, and Better Budget Act sets an increased $15 million federal estate and gift tax exclusion and generation-skipping transfer tax exemption per individual,...more
On May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill. The bill now awaits approval by the Senate. One of the various goals of the bill is to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s...more
As lawmakers advance toward the critical 2025 tax cliff, a key—and increasingly contentious—policy question is coming into sharper focus: What should Congress assume about the future when it scores the cost of extending the...more
In 2017, the federal gift and estate tax exemption was $5.49 million. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 doubled the gift and estate tax exemption amount to $11.18 million in 2018, and that amount has been adjusted for...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
In a significant legislative shift, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 doubled the exemption amounts for estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes (collectively known as “Death Taxes”). As of 2024, the federal...more
Current tax laws provide historically high exclusion amounts for the federal estate and generation skipping transfer tax. These exclusion amounts, however, are slated to sunset by roughly 50% at the end of 2025. ...more
Massachusetts has passed a sweeping $1 billion tax relief package intended to boost the Commonwealth’s affordability and competitiveness. Among other changes, the tax bill doubles the Massachusetts estate tax exemption to $2...more
From time to time, we provide updates in the estate planning area. While the November 2022 federal elections resulted in a divided Congress that dampens the likelihood of major federal tax legislation, we thought this would...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
The federal government taxes the transfer of assets via three separate but interrelated taxes: the estate tax, which taxes the transfer of assets at death, the gift tax, which taxes gratuitous transfers during your lifetime,...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
Through no fault of the Connecticut General Assembly, in late 2017 our newly increased Connecticut estate and gift tax exemptions were partially affected by the 2017 Federal Tax Act, commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs...more
Under the new tax law, estate tax has not been repealed. However, there is relief for higher net worth individuals, business owners and people with large estates that have little or no liquidity who previously might have...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
We now know that each individual has a $10 million estate tax exclusion (adjusted for inflation) under the new federal estate tax legislation (the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act). In 2018, the applicable exclusion amount will be...more
In this world, things change, and clients need to adapt to those changes. A major change in gift and estate tax law has occurred and clients need to take notice, and adapt their estate plans accordingly....more
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2018 went into effect on January 1, 2018. The new law makes some changes to key estate planning-related provisions. Except as otherwise noted, these changes are effective now and will sunset at...more