Top Gun: Maverick - Core Estate Plan and Gifting Basics
Once Removed Episode 19: The Step-Transaction Doctrine and the Case of Smaldino
Once Removed Episode 17: Annual Gifting to Individuals: Options, Opportunities and Pitfalls
Taking the Sting Out of Death Taxes with Dylan Metzner, Jones & Keller
HEAVEN CAN WAIT
The recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) brings sweeping and permanent changes to the federal estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax landscape. Most notably, it significantly increases the...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
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The OBBBA extended and may permanent many key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the TCJA), including the Lifetime Estate,...more
The new tax cut and spending bill known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which was signed into law on July 4, 2025, increases federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (“GST”) tax exemptions to $15 million...more
The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), which passed on July 3 and was signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, increases the amount individuals may transfer for federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax...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
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
Today’s federal estate and gift tax laws may be remembered as the most generous to wealthy families since the Great Depression. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) doubled the federal estate, gift, and generation skipping...more
Estate planning and wealth transfer professionals have their eyes on the sky as the future of federal estate taxation grows increasingly nebulous. Background - The federal gift and estate tax exemption is the amount...more
When it comes to passing wealth to the next generation, one of the most powerful tools in our toolbox is the use of your lifetime gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer tax (GST) exemption amounts. While the...more
Wealthy American families are rushing to relinquish wealth before the end of 2025 when Trump’s 2017 estate tax cuts are set to expire. Families with a net worth of approximately $10 million or higher are working with their...more
Although the IRS is now on high alert for wealthy individuals, new and existing planning opportunities are available, such as tax-free gifts and other advantageous planning. Wealthy individuals and families should take...more
October 2022 Interest Rates for GRATs, Sales to Defective Grantor Trusts, Intra-Family Loans and Split Interest Charitable Trusts - The October applicable federal rate ("AFR") for use with a sale to a defective grantor...more
You likely are aware, from the news and our prior communications, that Congress currently is considering proposals that may have a significant impact on many estate plans. Although we still cannot be certain which, if any, of...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
This week, the House Ways and Means Committee released draft tax legislation. The legislative draft includes several provisions especially relevant to high-net-worth families and estate planning, including reducing the wealth...more
“President Biden and Democrats in the Congress have been working on a $3.5 trillion spending and tax package, and the details are starting to be revealed. Indeed, on Sunday, September 12th, the House Ways and Means Committee...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 2020 election is less than a month away and year-end estate planning is already underway for many. Under current law, the estate, gift and GST (generation-skipping transfer) tax exemptions for 2020 are set at $11,580,000...more
- Annual inflation-indexing continues to increase the historically high lifetime exemption amount for gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer taxes. Those of considerable wealth who have not yet made gifts, such as...more
May 2020 Interest Rates for GRATs, Sales to Defective Grantor Trusts, Intra-Family Loans and Split Interest Charitable Trusts AFRs - Important federal interest rates continued to drop significantly for May of 2020. The...more
December Interest Rates for GRATs, Sales to Defective Grantor Trusts, Intra-Family Loans and Split Interest Charitable Trusts - The December § 7520 rate for use with estate planning techniques such as CRTs, CLTs, QPRTs...more
House Republicans unveiled the full text yesterday of their proposed tax legislation—titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—which includes dramatic changes to the gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax. ...more
September Interest Rates for GRATs, Sales to Defective Grantor Trusts, Intra-Family Loans and Split Interest Charitable Trusts - The September § 7520 rate for use with estate planning techniques such as CRTs, CLTs, QPRTs and...more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released regulations on August 2, 2016 that would limit the use of discounts when valuing interests in family entities for estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax purposes. If...more