Minnesota and the UTC


February 19, 2015
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The 2015 Minnesota Legislature may adopt the Uniform Trust Code.  The proposed legislation would provide new rules regarding the administration of trusts, codify some common laws and clarify procedures available to those involved with the administration of trusts.  Take a look at this review on JD Supra that outlines the changes and impact that the proposed legislation will have […]

In the News: Facebook’s Legacy Contact


February 16, 2015
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Last week, Facebook announced that users of the social media website could designate a “legacy contact,” who would be able to control and manage the user’s Facebook page once the user passed away. The legacy contact would have some limitations to what they can do with the user’s account but they would be able to […]

Tax Season Considerations: 1099 and Tangible Property


January 22, 2015
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The month of January, of course, brings the start of the tax filing season.  As such, there are a couple of items to think about. These two particular items are mainly directed at businesses, however, individuals who own rental properties or who are sole proprietors may be impacted as well. 1099 Reporting First, 1099 reporting […]

Privacy and your estate plan


January 19, 2015
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The British government announced recently that 4 million historical wills have been digitized and are now available for download by the public. As in the United States, these documents were previously available by traveling to the probate court and searching the available public records. Now anyone with an internet connection and a credit card can […]

Becoming an Organ Donor


January 15, 2015
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Becoming an organ donor is easy. You can indicate that you want to be a donor in the following ways: Register with your state’s donor registry. Most states have registries. Check the list at OrganDonor.gov. In Minnesota, the registry can be found here.  Once registered, you will receive a welcome packet in the mail including […]

What is Organ Donation?


January 12, 2015
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Whether to be an organ donation is a question most of us face only when we renew our drivers’ license. We may be faced with the decision again if we visit an estate planning attorney and discuss a health care directive. So it’s probably not surprising that there is a lot of mystery surrounding organ […]

Year End Tax Planning Part 4: Minnesota Changes


December 30, 2014
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In addition to changes intended to align Minnesota tax with Federal calculations, the state also made several additional benefits available. If any of these may apply to you, please a tax professional for more in-depth information. Dependent Care Credit As part of the federal update legislation, the federal credit computation the Minnesota uses was updated […]

Year-End Tax Planning Part 3: Health Care Reform


December 24, 2014
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This is the first year that taxpayers are required to carry health insurance. Administration of the various health care payments, penalties and credits flows through the individual tax return. Health Care Reform Tax Penalty For 2014, if a taxpayer does not have qualifying coverage for himself/herself and any dependents, and does not qualify for an […]

Year-End Tax Planning Part 1: Overview


December 18, 2014
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This is the first in a series of posts over the next two weeks to assist Epilawg readers with year-end tax planning. The opportunity to take advantage of income timing exists particularly for taxpayers who are: In a different tax bracket in 2014 than in 2015; Subject to Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) in one year […]

In the News – The Estate of James Brown


December 14, 2014
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It will be the 8th anniversary of James Brown’s death on Christmas of this year and yet his estate still has not been administered according to his wishes in his Will. As we have witnessed with other celebrity estates, Mr. Brown’s estate is locked up in disputes between family members contesting the Will, fiduciaries’ decisions, […]

Getting Your Second Chance: Expungements


December 8, 2014
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Effective January 1, 2015, the expungement law is changing dramatically in Minnesota to the benefit of those that continue to be hamstrung by their criminal past. The end result is that more Minnesotans will finally get a meaningful remedy when they successfully petition for an expungement. Expungement Basics An expungement is a court-ordered sealing of […]