by Justin M. Kennedy Litherland, Kennedy & Associates, APC, Attorneys at Law As we start a new tax year, it may be time to revisit some of the provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which increased the standard deduction to $12,000 per person or $24,000 per married couple. For those who do not itemize their deductions, this may be great news. However, for those who do itemize, there may be some significant tax consequences in the new law. The new law included a deduction cap of ten … [Read more...] about SALT and Non-Grantor Trusts
Estate Planning is About More Than Taxes
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. The new tax law doubled the amount that can be passed free of federal estate taxation, at least through 2025. In 2018, an individual can pass $11.18 million free from federal estate taxation. But, estate planning was never just about estate taxation. The core of estate planning has always been about protecting your loved ones and the assets you leave them. There … [Read more...] about Estate Planning is About More Than Taxes
Gift Now or Let Them Inherit?
by Justin M. Kennedy, Attorney at Law Litherland, Kennedy & Associates, APC, Attorneys at Law Recently I met with a client, Tammy, who wanted to immediately gift her home to her son, Eugene. Even though Tammy already had a comprehensive estate plan with our office that included a Living Trust, Tammy had talked with her friends who suggested gifting the home now was in her best interests. When I asked more questions, Tammy shared that one of her friends, Mike, had died without a Living Trust … [Read more...] about Gift Now or Let Them Inherit?
6 Important Estate Planning Considerations – Part 6: Taxes
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. This is part of a series of 6 blogs on important estate planning considerations. I’ll intersperse these blogs with other timely blogs. The first article in the series showed how an estate plan prepares one for incapacity during life and not just for the distribution of assets at death. The second article in the series focused on how an estate plan should take into … [Read more...] about 6 Important Estate Planning Considerations – Part 6: Taxes
Income Tax Basis in Estate Planning – Part 2
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. When considering different estate planning strategies and which direction to take, it’s important to consider the impact on basis. “Basis” is the benchmark used for income taxation. What does income tax basis have to do with estate planning? Property included in your taxable estate at your death gets a “step-up” in basis to its value at your death. (Certain … [Read more...] about Income Tax Basis in Estate Planning – Part 2
New Tax Law May Affect State Income Tax, Too!
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. As you likely know, in the final days of 2017, Congress passed, and the President signed, a new tax law. It substantially changes the federal income taxation of individuals and couples. As I blogged in December, the biggest changes are the near-doubling of the standard deduction amount and the cap on the state and local income tax deduction. The result is that most … [Read more...] about New Tax Law May Affect State Income Tax, Too!
Basics of Estate Planning: Powers of Appointment – Part 2
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. This is another in a series of blogs on the basics of estate planning. The last blog examined the basics of powers of appointment. This blog will examine how they can impact taxation. From a gift and estate tax perspective, there are two kinds of powers of appointment, a limited power of appointment (or “LPOA”), and a general power of appointment (or “GPOA”). They … [Read more...] about Basics of Estate Planning: Powers of Appointment – Part 2
How Tax Reform Could Impact Various Families
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. This is another in a series of blogs on the basics of estate planning. President Trump and Republican lawmakers recently unveiled a Blueprint for tax reform. Here’s a link to a story about this in U.S. News. Here’s a link to a deeper look at the proposal in the Atlantic. As I discussed in last week’s blog, there are many uncertainties in the plan and in the … [Read more...] about How Tax Reform Could Impact Various Families
Am I going to owe taxes if I inherit property?
By: Matthew M. Shafae, Attorney Litherland Law Firm Am I going to owe taxes if I inherit property? We get this question all the time. And we don’t blame you. It can get confusing. So, let’s see if we can clear up this issue. Let’s segregate the different taxes that might be owed, and then we can see if anything will be owed. Estate Tax The estate tax—or death tax, as it’s sometimes called—is a transfer tax on assets transferred from someone who died to someone who is living. The tax … [Read more...] about Am I going to owe taxes if I inherit property?
Exclusion of Gains from Sale of Personal Residence
By: Justin M. Kennedy, Attorney Litherland, Kennedy & Associates, APC, Attorneys at Law I spoke with a client, William, the other day who shared that he purchased his home many years ago for fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). That same home is now worth an estimated one and a half million dollars ($1,500,000). If the home was sold today, the capital gains taxes would be calculated on the difference between the sale price ($1,500,000) and the basis in the property ($50,000), for a taxable gain … [Read more...] about Exclusion of Gains from Sale of Personal Residence
