Category: Charitable Giving
There are tax breaks to be had while you are living and those that can benefit your heirs after you have passed. Knowing which ones work at what time is key to help mitigate tax liability. While you are living, giving appreciated assets held in a taxable account is a good way to go. When […]
Bill Wurst, a 1959 alumnus in electrical engineering left $4 million to the MSU College of Engineering as a gift from his estate. The gift was designated for the greatest needs of the college, giving the family and the college the flexibility to apply it where it would do the most good. Wurst had spoken […]
A new round of billionaires have committed to taking The Giving Pledge, created by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, agreeing to leave most of their significant wealth to charity. That’s the good news. But by making these contributions, these wealthy individuals reduce the federal tax base. And not all of these donations are being made to charitable […]
The desk-calendar entry for 11:30 a.m. on July 3, 1973, reads simply, “Watergate meeting.” It wouldn’t be of much importance except for the author of the hand-written note: former Washington Post editor Benjamin C. Bradlee, who was then deep in the midst of directing the newspaper’s coverage of a scandal that would eventually bring down […]
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) Chief Executive Tim Cook is joining the roster of the very rich who are giving away their wealth. Yahoo Finance reports about this story in an article titled “Apple’s Tim Cook will give away all his money.” Cook plans to pay for his nephew’s college education and give everything else away. This […]
Beethoven’s autograph, the 1455 Gutenberg Bible and an original printing of the Declaration of Independence are among the incredible haul that Princeton University has revealed as its largest-ever bequest. Philanthropist William Scheide passed away a few months ago and left an astounding collection to Princeton University. Scheide’s collection was actually started by his grandfather and […]
So you’ve got a private foundation. Have you thought about who would run it after your death? Peter Karoff, founder of The Philanthropic Initiative, an advisory arm of the Boston Foundation, has some advice for donors and heirs: start planning. For those who want to make charitable giving a part of their estate plans, private […]
Legion of Christ is a Catholic holy order whose founder was found to have molested seminarians and fathered children. A wealthy Rhode Island woman left her entire $60 million estate to the order. Now, the Rhode Island Supreme Court will decide if that woman’s niece can sue the order. While it is not unusual for […]
With the holiday season in full swing, ’tis the season to review date of delivery rules for charitable gifts, which determine the date that the gift was made and affect the tax consequences of the gift. Here are the general rules for determining date of delivery for some types of property when given as a […]
With a little research, a family should be able to find a suitable home for their estate and leave a lasting legacy — whether they are rich, Bill-Gates-rich, or not wealthy at all. Leaving an ongoing charitable legacy is not just for the wealthy. You do not need to be Bill and Melinda Gates with […]
