Category: Tax Planning
Even if you live (and, well, die) in a state that doesn’t have an estate tax, your estate could be nicked if you own property or other tangible assets (such as a plane or a boat) in a state that does. We tend to spend so much time talking about the federal estate tax, it […]
Starting in 2014 … the basic exclusion will go up to $5.34 million per person, from $5.25 million this year. [However,] there will be no change in the annual exclusion, which allows you to give $14,000 in cash or other assets each year to each of as many individuals as you want without dipping into the […]
Whenever a U.S. taxpayer dies or gives away valuable art—or any time it changes hands other than through a sale—Uncle Sam has an interest in knowing its true value. The art panel protects that interest, by vetting values submitted by taxpayers or executors; in other words, they make sure the deduction for the donation of […]
Many trusts were set up over the years to help protect wealth from estate taxes. But the federal estate-tax exemption has risen steadily in recent years, to $5.25 million, or $10.5 million for couples, from $1 million in 2003. This year, Congress made the exemption permanent and indexed it to inflation. As a result, fewer […]
What makes an appraisal “qualified,” says the Tax Court, is whether it provides sufficient information to enable the Internal Revenue Service to evaluate an appraiser’s methodology. When you give cash to charity, it is a pretty straightforward offering that holds a specific value. Easy enough. But what about non-cash items? Well, those must be appraised […]
“There are things you can do to minimize—or with the right set of facts—eliminate taxes,” says Timothy Jessell, a tax lawyer with Greenberg Traurig in Tysons Corner, VA whose client base is people buying and selling companies. In one case, a client who is selling his consulting company will save $3.8 million in taxes “simply […]
Check out these strategies to bypass capital gains altogether or at least lessen the bite. Unless you’ve been paying close attention to capital gains and your expected 2013 tax, then you may not realize a potentially large “bite” until tax season. For those in the know, however, there is still time to beat the capital […]
If you’re thinking of relocating, compare the taxes in potential retirement states to those in your current state. Wherever you retire, you may be eligible for senior-related breaks on retirement income, property taxes and sales taxes. Where do you want to spend your golden years? Regardless of where you decide to retire, make sure you […]
The purpose of the panel meetings is to discuss and make recommendations regarding the acceptability of taxpayers’ appraisals of works-of-art. If the Panel recommends rejection of a taxpayer’s appraisal, it may also recommend a different valuation, the securing of additional information or consultation with a specialist. Beauty of art may be in the eye of […]
Men and women who find themselves suddenly single in midlife need to plan carefully and make thoughtful decisions about such things as how to divide up assets and the best ways to handle the money they’ll receive. Divorce is messy. Period. This is especially true when your retirement or your estate are up for grabs. […]
