By Greg Reese, Principal Reef Point, LLC Certified Trustee for the Deferred Sales Trust The DST starts with an owner of an appreciated asset who wishes to sell that asset and defer taxes on his or her gain. In order to defer the gains on the sale, the seller/taxpayer must engage with the Estate Planning Team (EPT) and its Tax Attorneys BEFORE the property is actually sold and the seller/taxpayer … [Read more...]
The Practicality of Estate Planning
The Practicality of Estate Planning You work hard to provide for your family, pay for your child's college tuition, and ensure your family lives a good life. Wouldn't you want to make sure that still happens when you're no longer there? A well-thought-out estate plan can help accomplish that goal. Estate planning seems like a huge undertaking, but it's quite manageable if you seek … [Read more...]
Tax Cut Law: Mostly Good News for Employers and Employees
The most immediate concrete change the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) will bring about for employers is new payroll tax withholding rates. Here's the latest word from the IRS: "We anticipate issuing the initial withholding guidance in January reflecting the new legislation, which would allow taxpayers to begin seeing the benefits of the change as early as February. The IRS will be working closely … [Read more...]
Keep Tax Reform Proposals in Mind When Making Last-Minute Year-End Moves
As 2017 winds down, it's time to consider making some moves to lower your federal income tax bill and position yourself for tax savings in future years. This year, the big unknown factor is whether major tax reform proposals will be enacted. Even if all goes according to the GOP timeline, the changes generally won't take effect until next year at the earliest. So your 2017 return will follow the … [Read more...]
Important Documents Related to Final Distribution of a Trust Estate
Important Documents Related to Final Distribution of a Trust Estate NOTICE OF PROPOSED ACTION In the course of settling a Trust estate, the Trustee may need to make a significant decision that might affect the interests or desires of the beneficiaries. The most common decision would be to sell a piece of property or borrow money secured against trust assets. It may also involve a … [Read more...]
2018 IRS Estate and Gift Tax Inflation Adjustments
The IRS has announced the 2018 inflation adjustments for many tax provisions, including exemptions for estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes and the annual exclusion amount for gifts. The 2018 estate and gift tax “exemption” will be $5,600,000, up from $5,490,000 for 2017. This is the total amount that can pass free from estate tax on death and/or from gift tax during life. The … [Read more...]
Issues Regarding Valuation of Cash and Non-Cash Assets in Estate Planning
Valuation of Cash or Financial Assets Valuation of Cash or Financial Assets is determined by providing an independent statement such as from a Bank, Brokerage, Insurance Company or other financial institution. Valuation of Tangible Personal Property In general, if the value of any item of Tangible Personal Property exceeds $5,000 then, a value must be established by reliable written … [Read more...]
The Practicality of Estate Planning
You work hard to provide for your family, pay for your child's college tuition, and ensure your family lives a good life. Wouldn't you want to make sure that still happens when you're no longer there? A well-thought-out estate plan can help accomplish that goal. Estate planning seems like a huge undertaking, but it's quite manageable if you seek the help of professionals who have experience in … [Read more...]
Top 5 Mistakes When Naming Beneficiaries of Insurance Policies
Protecting Your Goals and Your Loved Ones Naming beneficiaries of an insurance policy seems likes an easy thing to do. If a person is married, the spouse is the beneficiary. The children are often named the contingent beneficiaries. If a person is not married but has children, the children are often named as first beneficiaries. Usually these are the people that life insurance is intended to … [Read more...]
Challenges Facing Aging Family Members
As our senior population grows older, they face unique and complex challenges. Fear of losing control and doubt concerning the ability to pay for assistance with common daily needs can result in dangerous isolation for our seniors. It can also leave family members scrambling to provide help without any clear idea of the type of help needed, or awareness about resources that can be brought to … [Read more...]
