Trusts Estates and Succession Planning

In the Crosshairs: Guns in Estate Planning

When engaging in the estate planning process, it’s easy to focus exclusively on the big assets such as real estate, retirement assets, investment accounts, and life insurance. It’s equally easy to discount the importance of planning for items of personal property. This is a mistake, because personal items can often times carry value far beyond...

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When Congress Says, “Never Mind”, Does It Mean It? The latest news regarding changes to the Gift and Estate Tax Laws.

When Congress Says, “Never Mind”, Does It Mean It? The latest news regarding changes to the Gift and Estate Tax Laws.

For nearly a year, various proposals and so-called “frameworks” have been debated in Congress regarding changes to the federal estate and gift tax laws.  Nearly all would have (i) reduced the amount that individuals could gift during lifetime or bequeath at death before application of federal transfer taxes, (ii) eliminated the so-called “step...

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How Might Joe Biden’s Tax Proposals Affect You?

How Might Joe Biden’s Tax Proposals Affect You?

On April 28, 2021, President Joe Biden presented his proposed “American Families Plan” in an address to the nation. The address set forth hoped-for “once in a generation” investments focused on benefits to American families. These investments included expanded government-funded education, increases in various child and earned income credits, paid...

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The IRS Extends Time to Make Portability Election

Act Now – Estate Tax Planning Under the Biden Administration

Over the past twenty years, there has been a dramatic change in the Estate tax laws. Given the Democratic control established in Washington, D.C. this month, additional Estate Tax reform is now a distinct possibility. Currently, each person can give away during lifetime, or distribute at death, an amount of $11.7 million without being subject to...

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Individual Tax Planning Following the November 2020 Elections

Individual Tax Planning Following the November 2020 Elections

Following the recent November 2020 elections, individual tax planning faces further uncertainty for the remainder of this year and into the beginning of 2021. While it appears that Democrats will control the House of Representatives and the White House, under a Joe Biden presidency, it is not clear which political party will control the U.S....

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IRS Issues Additional Guidance for Retirement Account Withdrawals in 2020

By: Jacqueline L. Messler The IRS recently released Notices 2020-50 and 2020-51, on June 19 and June 26, respectively, which offer important but temporary relief to individuals who took their Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) in 2020 prior to the enactment of the CARES Act. The Notices also expanded the number of people eligible to withdraw...

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CARES Act: Historic Senate Legislation to Provide Individuals with Personal Tax Rebates Among Other Tax Advantages (Updated March 27, 2020)

By: Ann M. Rieger On Friday, March 27th, the House of Representative approved the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The Act, which is designed to provide economic relief as the United States adapts to the outbreak of COVID-19, had previously been approved by the Senate in the late hours of March 25th, by a rare...

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Emergency Use of Remote Online Notarization

By: Joseph E. Tierney IV Update: The Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) issued emergency guidance on remote notarizations last week.  Such emergency guidance referenced certain types of estate planning documents and included citations to state statutes addressing certain types of estate planning documents.  The Department has reconsidered...

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