President Trump unveiled a budget proposal for the 2021 fiscal year. Of note, the income tax and estate tax cuts provided in the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 which are scheduled to expire on January 1, 2026, are being extended in this proposal to 2035. This includes the increased estate tax exemption of […]
When Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen died in June 2019, he left behind a professional football franchise valued at more than $2.5 billion. The validity of his trust, wherein he named one of his seven children as chief executive after he passed, is being fought over in court by his children. After Bowlen’s death, his […]
In a recent Private Letter Ruling the IRS declared that sales of property between spouses and the spouses’ grantor trusts do not trigger income taxation. This ruling validates a planning technique using special trusts called Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATS) and transactions between the spouses and these trusts. This type of planning is used to […]
If you own a family business, you should be thinking about your succession plan, whether you plan to sell the business to fund your own retirement or pass it on to your descendants or other key employees. To get you started, below are six questions to ask yourself. We answer each in our book, The […]
It has been estimated that over 90% of all business information today is created electronically. Use of social networking websites, such as Facebook, on-line photography accounts like Flicker, e-mail passwords and word processing files, is increasingly more common. Various media commentators have addressed the need for individuals to consider their electronic data and on-line postings […]
The grantor retained annuity trust (GRAT) has been a staple vehicle for estate planning since it was first introduced twenty years ago by the Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1990. A GRAT can effectively transfer property from a grantor to a beneficiary, while greatly reducing the amount of tax the grantor would otherwise owe on the […]
The Homebuyer Tax Credit is scheduled to expire soon. To take advantage of the tax credit, homebuyers must enter into a binding contract to purchase a home before May 1, 2010, and they must close on the home before July 1, 2010. Not surprisingly, many unmarried couples have sought to take advantage of the tax […]
Effectively drafting estate plans for married individuals with children from a prior marriage can be a challenge. Failure to properly plan can cause divisive family disputes. There are many variables to be considered and competing interests that need to be balanced when preparing an appropriate plan. A common concern is that the spouses want to […]
Back in 2001, Congress passed the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA). While many provisions of EGTRRA have been acutely focused on by planners since that time, one provision has received little attention until recently. Under Section 511(e) of EGTRRA, Section 2511(c) of the Internal Revenue Code was added and provides that for […]
Attorney Carl D. Holborn gave a presentation on the status of the Federal Estate Tax at the Corporate Casual meeting on February 23rd at the Milwaukee Bar Center. The presentation gave a summary of the mechanics of the tax, a history of the tax, the current status of the tax, and commentary on what might […]
