Are you and your spouse both U.S. citizens? If not, the foreign citizenship of you and/or your spouse may have a surprising estate tax impact. THE MARITAL DEDUCTION If an individual’s estate exceeds the estate tax exemption amount ($1 million for federal and Minnesota estate taxes in 2011, if no Congressional action), he or she […]
“Basis” is not something that is simple to explain these days. Up until last week, the basis rules that apply to decedents in 2010 were in limbo. This article WILL NOT cover the advanced estate planning issue of basis allocations in 2010 and how they relate to the federal estate tax. Instead, this is an […]
Generation-skipping transfer (“GST”) tax is the tax imposed on bequests that are made to an individual who is at least two generations younger than the donor (for example, a gift from a grandparent to a grandchild). The purpose of the GST tax is to ensure that certain gifts, which could avoid either the estate and/or […]
Everyone should have an estate plan to ensure his or her final wishes are expressed and followed. However it is even more important for the following individuals to have an estate plan to protect and provide for their loved ones:
Almost all of my non-lawyer friends give me a funny look when I talk about probate. Yes, it is an odd word, but with a short explanation, it makes sense. I find that the basics can be easily explained in one sentence – Probate occurs when someone dies and a court gives someone else (the […]
Do not miss out on an unprecedented retirement and estate planning opportunity. During 2010, converting “traditional” IRA accounts into “Roth” IRA accounts present some unique opportunities. TRADITIONAL vs. ROTH A traditional IRA is an individually-owned retirement account in which the owner can receive a tax deduction upon the contribution of assets (maximum of $5,000 for […]
A recent article published by Forbes, entitled “How to Protect Your Spouse Financially After You Are Gone,” provides a great roadmap for organizing your affairs in order to assist grieving loved ones after your death. See also my past post, entitled “Get Organized,” which provides an outline for creating an “Emergency Binder.” Taking the time […]
The current year has been and still is a chaotic year in the area of estate planning. Currently, there is no federal estate tax. And, what will ultimately happen to the federal estate tax is still unknown. How did we get here? The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) provided […]
As you may or may not know, 2010 has been a tumultuous year in the area of estate planning. Currently, there is no federal estate tax. And, worse yet, no one knows exactly what the future holds for the federal estate tax. How do you plan when there is so much uncertainty? Marital Deduction Given […]
ALERT: Life insurance proceeds may be included in a decedent’s gross estate for estate tax purposes. The Impact of Life Insurance Many people underestimate the total value of their estate. People assume that they do not have enough assets to worry about estate tax planning. However, most do not realize how their life insurance factors […]