Tax & Wealth Advisor Blog

Some of your most significant assets, like your life insurance and retirement accounts, ask you to make beneficiary designations. If you make valid beneficiary designations on these assets, then upon your death they will pass directly to your named beneficiaries without being subject to the probate process. Click here to view our article on probate […]

Probate is the legal process during which a court oversees the collection and transfer of a person’s assets upon his or her death. In general, the probate process includes filing a will, appointing a personal representative, inventorying the decedent’s assets, paying the decedent’s debts, filing taxes, and distributing the balance of the estate according to […]

(Part II) Objectives of the Succession Plan In our last article we discussed why a well-constructed succession plan is necessary. In this article, we review the essential objectives the plan needs to address. The objectives of succession planning and the methods used to accomplish these objectives are varied, but include the following: MAXIMIZE THE VALUE […]

The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers that estimated tax payments for tax year 2020, originally due April 15 and June 15, are now due July 15 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Therefore, any individual or corporation that has a quarterly estimated tax payment due has until July 15 to make that payment without penalty. This […]

A proper estate plan covers not only what should happen upon your death, but also what should happen if you lose your decision-making skills. While planning for incapacity may be as unpleasant as planning for death, it is an important step in the estate planning process. Planning for incapacity ensures that someone you specifically choose […]

Many closely held businesses involve family members. The owner of such a business may wish to sell the business to some third party on or prior to death, or, more likely, may desire to transfer the business to the owner’s children. Although some business owners may believe little or no planning is required for this […]

Do you want to leave your children with an inheritance, but are worried about creditors taking part of that inheritance? If so, you are not alone. Fortunately, a properly established protective trust can help safeguard the money you leave behind for your children from their creditors, including in a divorce. Creditors can more easily reach […]

Yesterday, the IRS released guidance in Notice 2020-32 stating that expenses related to forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will not be tax-deductible. Under the PPP, a program created by the CARES Act to provide coronavirus relief, small businesses can receive forgivable loans of up to $10 million as long as the loan […]

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the federal government is providing much needed relief to small businesses in the form of loans that can be forgiven under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). A PPP loan can be forgiven if the loan is used for specific costs such as payroll costs, interest […]

Wisconsin has updated its proposed guidance document discussing how various tax deadlines are affected by IRS Notices 2020-18 and 2020-23, which were issued as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we previously wrote, the IRS notices provide extensions for a variety of tax form filings and payment obligations that are due between April 1, […]

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