federal estate tax

Much Ado About Nothing?

by Erika Stein Rosenhagen February 4, 2013 Estate Planning 101

Last week, I was lucky enough to see the cliff up close. Not the fiscal cliff that kept us all riveted (or not) for the month of December, but a beautiful snow covered cliff. And [...]

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Do I Still Need An Estate Plan?

by Jen Santini January 23, 2013 Estate Planning 101

Some people continue to ask why they need an estate plan, especially since Congress passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act, which made the $5 million federal estate tax exemption permanent. The question is often, “If [...]

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Permanent Estate Tax Relief

by Jamie Held January 3, 2013 Estate Planning 101

Congress passed The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 on January 1, 2013.  Among its many provisions are the following pertaining to estate taxes:

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Minnesota Estate Tax Changes May Be on the Horizon

by Jamie Held December 26, 2012 Estate Planning 101

The Minnesota Department of Revenue (“DOR”) is preparing a report that analyzes Minnesota’s current estate tax laws. The report will provide the Legislature with options to consider for changes to or elimination of the estate [...]

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Attorney Under the Weather? Tough Luck, says the IRS

by Steve Held April 11, 2012 Guest Articles

Although most of us would consider our estate planning attorney to be superhuman, the fact of the matter is that sometimes they are unable to perform their duties.  In a recent case, the district court [...]

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Disclaiming Property Part I: Federal Disclaimer

by Jen Santini February 7, 2012 Estate Planning 101

Jamie Held explained that the benefit of disclaimer planning is to utilize “…both spouses’ estate tax exemption amounts in order to minimize or eliminate estate tax on a couple’s accumulated wealth.” As we have mentioned [...]

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Unique Estate Planning Issues in Agricultural Communities

by Laurel Mohan January 16, 2012 Estate Planning 101

Everyone should have an estate plan. Estate planning attorneys say that a lot, and we mean it! But this is even more critical for farming families. There are many unique issues and problems that play [...]

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Portability & Gifting

by Jamie Held December 17, 2011 Estate Planning 101

I recently wrote about portability, specifically, what it is and how to elect it.  This post takes it one step further, discussing how portability and gifting interact.

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What is Portability?

by Jamie Held October 31, 2011 Estate Planning 101

2010 Tax Relief Act The 2010 Tax Relief Act (a.k.a. The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010) provided us with a $5 million federal estate tax exemption and a federal [...]

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529 Plans

by Jayne Sykora September 21, 2011 Estate Planning 101

529 plans are tax-advantaged programs that help families save for qualified higher education expenses associated with college. How are 529 Plans helpful for estate planning? Well, contributions to a 529 Plan can help you reduce [...]

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Dynasty Trusts

by Maggie Green May 28, 2011 Estate Planning 101

A Dynasty Trust is one that may continue in existence indefinitely.  In most states, a Trust can only exist for a certain period of time. Many times this restriction is called the “Rule Against Perpetuities” [...]

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