Once Removed Episode 19: The Step-Transaction Doctrine and the Case of Smaldino
Once Removed Episode 18: The Reciprocal Trust Doctrine
Charitable Planning With Guest Stephanie Hood: Navigating Complex Rules and Traps for the Unwary
Once Removed Episode 16: Gift and Estate Tax, Inflation Adjustments for 2024
Once Removed Episode 17: Annual Gifting to Individuals: Options, Opportunities and Pitfalls
Once Removed Episode 12: SLATs and the Case of McKim vs. McKim
Once Removed Episode 11: Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts, or SLATs
Once Removed Episode 10: Trustee Removal and Case Update on Leo Kahn Revocable Trust
(A)ESOP's Fables - The Income and Estate Tax-Free ESOP
The Renoir Spelling Bee
Taking the Sting Out of Death Taxes with Dylan Metzner, Jones & Keller
RETURN TO FOREVER - What Game Shall We Play Today?
To Give or Not to Give: Considerations for Year-End Gifting
INTRODUCING MALTA SPLIT DOLLAR
THE PAPER CHASE
With a Little Help from My Friends
The Greatest Gift: Your Individual + Family Estate Plan
The 89th regular session of the Texas Legislature has voted to put some proposed constitutional amendments relating to state taxation on the ballot for the election on November 5, 2025. Let’s take a look....more
Since 2018, estate planning legislation in Washington has remained stagnant. Increases in our legislated estate tax exemption rate had been tied to a Consumer Price Index that no longer existed, and the legislature largely...more
Washington concluded an eventful legislative session with the largest set of tax increases in the state's history. This Update focuses on two significant changes that affect Washington residents and a senate bill proposal...more
Faced with a projected $16 billion deficit over the next four years, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson formally signed into law on May 20, 2025, a $78 billion 2025-2027 state biennial operating budget and a final tax package...more
Facing a projected budget deficit of $12 to $16 billion, Governor Bob Ferguson signed several bills into law this week which will significantly increase taxes in Washington State. An overview of the increases to Business and...more
Sweeping legislative changes are reshaping Washington state’s tax landscape. On May 20, 2025, Washington’s governor signed legislation significantly increasing the Business and Occupation (B&O) tax, sales tax, and more,...more
By June 7, 2025, Gov. Bob Ferguson is expected to sign legislation into law that would increase funding for Washington State's Education Legacy Trust Account (ELTA) by raising the capital gains and estate tax rates. ...more
The lifetime estate tax exemption amount is as high as ever. The estate tax exemption amount rose from $1,000,000 in 2002 to $5,000,000 in 2011. Then, Congress doubled the amount of the estate tax exemption in 2018. As of...more
The "big ticket" item of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is the significant increase to the lifetime gift, estate and generation-skipping tax (GST) tax exemptions. Under the TCJA, the exemptions were increased from $5...more
President-Elect Donald Trump has not published a comprehensive tax plan as of the time of this writing, but he and Vice President-Elect J.D. Vance have made several proposals in campaign speeches, interviews and online....more
When creating trusts for estate-reduction purposes, nothing compares to the Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust. This type of trust is referred to by the acronym “IDGT.” Called by some as an I-D-G-T and others a word that...more
Your family’s vacation home is more than just a property. It is where your family has created memories to cherish for generations. Deciding how to pass down such a meaningful asset can be an emotional decision, but it...more
There are a lot of very smart tax attorneys out there who are trying to figure out something new, and yet there’s very little innovation. Almost all techniques that we use are incremental variations of an older technique...more
Today is the anniversary of the largest Powerball lottery victory in the United States of $2.04 billion. Just over the $1.765 billion jackpot claimed last month (Oct 2023). What are some tax tips for lottery winners and...more
The long-awaited Massachusetts tax reform package was signed by Governor Maura Healey on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. Among the provisions: Estate Tax Reform: Establishes a non-refundable credit of $99,600 for each estate,...more
The Washington Supreme Court recently upheld as constitutional the state’s capital gains tax (WA Cap Gains Tax) that was enacted in 2021. The new WA Cap Gains Tax creates new wrinkles and provides new planning opportunities...more
On April 13, the Massachusetts House of Representatives approved H.3770, a tax reform bill that includes significant changes for individuals, businesses and estates. The bill is now with the Senate’s Ways and Means Committee,...more
The current estate planning landscape is drastically different than it was at the beginning of this year. After an extended period of historically low rates of interest and inflation, this year the Federal Reserve began...more
Is the grass always greener on the other side? Like any major life decision, deciding to uproot yourself (and potentially your family) and move from one state to another is not an easy decision. Although laws, taxes and...more
“Déjà vu All Over Again”- The White House last week released the President’s Budget for the Fiscal Year 2023. The Budget is ambitious, but its “investments,” we are told, “are more than paid for with tax reforms focused on...more
Tax the Rich? The President’s plan for a tax regime that would ensure the rich pay their “fair share” of the cost of implementing his programs has come one step closer to being realized . . . maybe . . . well, sort of ....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
Plan focuses on eliminating certain available estate planning opportunities and increasing rates for corporations and high net worth individuals. The proposed tax plan from House Ways and Means Committee seeks to eliminate...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
The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee released proposed budget reconciliation legislation on September 13, 2021. The bill still must complete many steps in the legislative process – including passage by the full House of...more