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
On July 4, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law and as a result enacted numerous significant tax law changes. While this short article will not address each aspect of the OBBBA, it will...more
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
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
With the looming elections, tax planners have taken time to consider what the future of Estate and Gift Tax planning might be under the new Congress. Every new Congress considers changes to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,...more
At the end of 2025, the federal estate and gift tax exemption will dramatically decrease unless Congress affirmatively passes a law saying otherwise. This event is the “sunsetting” of a 2018 federal tax law and is leading...more
This podcast often discusses the elements of a trust, and how to grant access, control and flexibility to beneficiaries and trustees. But for tax and other purposes, the donor typically cannot retain those kinds of powers. ...more
The New Year brings with it new estate and gift tax exemption and exclusion amounts. In 2017, a new tax law doubled the federal estate and gift tax exemption. And that exemption amount has increased each year between 2018...more
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) significantly increased the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption from $5.6 million to $11.18 million for individuals, with adjustments for inflation starting in 2018. For 2023, the...more
Earlier this year the stock market entered bear market territory. This happens when the market declines more than 20% or more from its most recent high. The market decline has been attributed to several factors including...more
After months of speculation, 2022 began with no new federal estate and gift tax legislation. As the proposed legislation wended its way through the legislative process in 2021, the major proposed changes to federal estate...more
You have probably heard that the House Ways and Means Committee released proposals for increasing gift and estate taxes in order support legislation being advanced by the Democratic majority in Congress. ...more
Now that the election is over, it looks like we are going to have a Democratic President while the control of the Senate is still uncertain. If control of the Senate remains Republican, any immediate or significant changes to...more
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our lives and shifted our priorities in an unprecedented manner. Against this backdrop of uncertainty, though, opportunities in estate planning abound. Basic planning documents, such as...more
Down markets are a prime opportunity for tax planning for high net worth families. In the few years following the 2008 recession, wealthy families took advantage of gifting options to transfer wealth and reduce taxes. Once...more