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Estate Planning

In today's world, Estate Planning is more than going to see an attorney about a will. With the complex laws involved in estate taxes, it is important to have a knowledgeable CPA on your side.  Moreover, if you are making current plans such as gifting strategies or establishing trusts, it is equally important to have an experienced CPA review the transactions and handle the tax returns.

Our Estate Planning personnel have extensive experience in dealing with trusts and other gifting strategies.  We regularly file tax returns on behalf of trusts and their trustees as well as filing complex gift tax and estate tax returns.  Likewise, it is important to know the financial capabilities of your Executor, and members of our staff have performed this function on multiple occasions.

We have excellent working relationships with the top estate-planning attorneys in the area, and frequently consult with them regarding our clients' plans.

Trusts

There are two basic types of trusts: simple and complex.  A simple trust is required to distribute all income it earns .  A trust is a complex trust if it can accumulate income. 

Our CPAs and the attorneys they work with can help you determine which type of trust is best for your wants and needs.  Typically, one or more of the following are recommended based on the client's individual desires:

  • Revocable Living Trust
  • Qualified Residency Trust
  • Special Needs / Supplemental Needs Trust
  • Asset Protection Trust
  • Spendthrift Trust
  • Grantor Trusts
  • Intentionally Defective GRantor Trusts
Wealth Preservation

Wealth Preservation is a process by which you, your CPA and your attorney should discuss various strategies in protecting your assets from creditors, lawsuits, future generations’ poor decision making, and excessive taxes.  Often, this is accomplished with the use of one or more trusts, LLCs, or other devices. 

There are also various methods of transferring assets in order to decrease your personal tax liabilities.  These methods change and the amounts change frequently due to inflation and other adjustments.  For 2014 the amounts are:

  • The unlimited marital deduction (UMD)
  • Portability of spouse's unused credit
  • The current $5.34 Million lifetime Gift and Estate Tax Unified Credit*
  • The current $5.34 Million lifetime Generation Skipping Transfer Tax Credit*
  • The current $14,000 per donee per year GIFT Tax Exclusion*

* These amounts are for 2014 only and are subjet change.

 

  • Estate Administration
  • Consultations and advice on Wills, Trusts, etc.
  • Estate Planning
  • Gift Tax Planning
  • Fiduciary (Trust) Accounting
  • Family Organizational Planning