Gift-Splitting by Spouses

As an individual considers the propriety of making lifetime gifts while their bonus gift tax exemption is still available, he/she may consider making a split-gift with their spouse, so that each spouse’s applicable exemption amount can be used to shelter the donor’s gift from gift tax.

Read More

IRAs and Community Property

If an IRA is subject to community property laws, then the rights of a surviving spouse will take priority over the rights of the designated IRA beneficiary.

Read More

Life Expectancy Tables and the RMD Rules

Beneficiaries of retirement accounts, both IRAs and employer qualified plans, must take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from their inherited IRA.

Read More

QPRT Termination Planning

If a qualified personal residence trust (QPRT) is to be a part of an estate plan, consider causing the QPRT’s remainder interest to be a grantor trust for income tax purposes to add flexibility.

Read More

CTA: Who Can File the Beneficial Owner Interest Report?

Filing a beneficial owner interest report with FinCEN by a nonlawyer may constitute the unauthorized practice of law in some states.

Read More

Harris Tax Plan

The Vice President released her proposed economic and tax plan, in the form of the proposed American Housing and Economic Mobility Act of 2024 (sponsored by Senator Elizabeth Warren.) Since this is a campaign year, nothing will come of this proposed legislation, at least in 2024.

Read More

Asset Protection Trusts and Income Tax Planning- An Overview of the DING

Asset protection trusts (APTs) and incomplete grantor trusts (IGTs) for gift tax purposes have a bewildering history when it comes to the IRS.

Read More

Update on the Surviving Spouse Election (assuming you can

A surviving spouse named as the sole beneficiary of a qualified plan retirement account can elect to be treated as the employee-participant to arguably extend the period of distribution from that inherited retirement account.

Read More

SECURE Act 2.0 Technical Corrections- We’re Still Waiting

The SECURE Act 2.0 of 2022 created significant changes to and incentives for qualified plans.

Read More

Beware Multiple Trusts

The use of multiple Trusts might be a good way for a donor to make lifetime gifts.

Read More