The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) doubled the federal gift and estate tax exemption amount from $5 million to $10 million, adjusted annually for inflation. Combined with the unlimited marital deduction and other estate tax provisions, including portability of the exemption, a married couple can easily shelter more than $20 million from federal estate tax. (more…)
The Four Basic Steps of Probate
Probate. The word itself is enough to strike fear into the hearts of elderly individuals and their loved ones. It conjures images of lengthy delays waiting for wealth to be transferred and bitter disputes among family members. Plus, probate is open to the public, so all your “dirty linen” may be aired. The reality is that probate doesn’t have to be so terrible, and often isn’t, but both property owners and their heirs should know what’s in store. (more…)
Valuation: Discounts for Estate Planning
By Jeff Faust and Megan Bigham
Upcoming tax regulation changes may have sweeping effects on how family-owned entities are valued.
Initially, the IRS did not allow discounts for lack of control in valuing family-owned interests. In 1993, the IRS ruled that these interests were not collective and therefore lifted the limitation for this discount. However, there are still some situations where discounts for lack of marketability and lack of control are challenged on the basis of IRS Code §2704.