Estate taxes

Many proposals for tax hikes on the wealthy haven't materialized, leaving investors with trusts, gifts or sales that might now seem hasty — or not.

Just 1,275 families paid $9.3 billion in estate tax in 2020, down from $20 billion from nearly 5,500 families in 2018.

Amid the pandemic, staying informed about life insurance strategies with trusts and estates is critical.

Good luck getting in to see an estate planner if you don’t already have one. Cross your fingers if you do.

Policies held in grantor trusts would be subject to estate tax under Democrats’ plan, the latest blow to wealth management for the affluent.

The use of a SLAT to eliminate the risk of changes in the estate and gift tax system can help separate legacy assets from lifetime assets.

The agency will consider whether to require affluent taxpayers to pay tax on transfers to trusts made under higher exemptions that expire come 2026.

While Biden isn’t getting some of his proposed tax increases on the wealthy, some surprising new hikes may be in the works.

Biden’s approach might be politically astute, but from a fiscal-design point of view, it’s partially self-defeating, Bloomberg’s Clive Crook writes.

Instead of hitting heirs with a hefty tax payment at the time of a benefactor’s death, one proposal would allow the beneficiaries to defer the bill.

Estate planners are keeping a close eye on the department’s agenda, anticipating the possible revival of several regulatory projects shelved by the Trump administration.

The outcomes of two elections in Georgia that are scheduled for Jan. 5 are expected to determine the balance of power in the Senate and may also have an impact on the kind of tax planning that accountants should be advising their clients to do.

Whether the law changes next year or in 2025, wealthy clients can save by using the generous provisions now.

Whatever the outcome in November, taxpayers and their advisors should prepare for changes, an expert says.

Gifting embedded loss assets can avoid a step-down in basis and preserve capital losses. Here's how to go about it, under several scenarios.

The Internal Revenue Service is giving taxpayers a break if the checks they mailed in to pay their taxes still haven’t been opened up yet and are sitting in the trailers the IRS set up during the pandemic.

Many clients have seen the value of their investment accounts drop, making this a good time for planners to prove their value

The funds may be gaining traction among older investors with significant assets, but rarely live up to their billing.

When his dad passed away, my client would have to probate 60 different stocks and a New York property, plus handle charitable contributions. At the same time, 13 grandchildren would breathe down his neck for their inherited shares.

Without the marital deduction, a certain category of married clients will have challenges inheriting property outright.