Tag Archives: Current Events

The Van Hollen Gains at Death, Gift or Distribution from a Trust Bill (STEP): Your World May be Rocked!

  • Planning now in light of Van Hollen’s STEP proposal, the Sanders’ proposal, various income tax proposals, and President Biden’s comments.
  • Inter-relationship of income tax changes, Sanders and Van Hollen is key.
  • Republicans have come back with a reply to the infrastructure bill suggesting instead of raising taxes having user fees.
  • We will discuss each of these, the constitutionality, and end with a discussion of practical planning implications.
  • President Biden is to address a joint session of Congress shortly and we may get a better window into what might happen.
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Post-GA Runoff Election Estate Planning: What to Do For Clients NOW!

Biden is the President-Elect, and the House is Democratic. At this juncture, we now know that the Senate is split so that the tie vote is cast by Vice President-elect Harris 

How might this planning be modified considering the significant unknown of what will happen and when it may be effective?

  • There could be massive tax increases on the wealthy
  • Domestic Asset Protection Trusts
  • Spousal lifetime access trusts
  • Special power of appointment trusts
  • Note sale transactions
  • GRATs, GRIPs 
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Post GA Runoff Elections- In Depth

The 2020 election demonstrated that the projected Democratic sweep did not occur. Former Vice President Biden won the Presidency but that is still being challenged. The Republicans have control of the Senate it appears, but two runoff elections in Georgia in January 2021 may provide the Democrats a chance to pick up two additional seats making the Senate evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. What does this all mean to clients that were engaged in planning in anticipation of the Blue Wave that did not happen? Why should that planning generally continue?

When and why in some instances might prior planning be modified? What types of planning make sense to implement? How might prior planning be changed for clients that view the planning landscape differently? This presentation will review the use of GRATs, SLATs, Hybrid-DAPTs, SPATs and other techniques, step-transactions concerns, reciprocal trust doctrine concerns and in particular how the somewhat ambiguous election results may affect these techniques and issues. The focus will be on practical advice to give clients now, and planning steps to take now!

Post Election Estate Planning What to Do For Clients In November and December of 2020

The 2020 election demonstrated that the projected Democratic sweep did not occur. Former Vice President Biden won the Presidency but that is still being challenged. The Republicans have control of the Senate it appears, but two runoff elections in Georgia in January 2021 may provide the Democrats a chance to pick up two additional seats making the Senate evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. What does this all mean to clients that were engaged in planning in anticipation of the Blue Wave that did not happen? Why should that planning generally continue? When and why in some instances might prior planning be modified? What types of planning make sense to implement?

How might prior planning be changed for clients that view the planning landscape differently? This presentation will review the use of GRATs, SLATs, Hybrid-DAPTs, SPATs and other techniques, step-transactions concerns, reciprocal trust doctrine concerns and in particular how the somewhat ambiguous election results may affect these techniques and issues. The focus will be on practical advice to give clients now, and planning steps to take now! Speakers:  Martin M. Shenkman, Esq., Jonathan Blattmacher, Esq., Robert Keebler, CPA *This may consist of attorney advertising.

Current Estate Planning Opportunities: How to Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

Great risk and greater uncertainty due to the pandemic often means lower values and greater valuation discounts. In the current economic environment, investors face unprecedented degrees of risk and uncertainty. Presented by Maurice R. Kassimir, Esq. from Maurice Kassimir & Associates, P.C. and our own Brandon Cintula, CTFA, CFIRS with Peak Trust Company

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A Disruption in Trust Taxation Kaestner & Paula Cases Reviewed

Taxpayers in high tax states (e.g. California, New Jersey, Illinois, Oregon) want to take advantage of zero tax states (e.g. Alaska and Nevada) Shifting income recognition to residents of low tax states accomplishes this.

Today’s agenda

• ING Trusts
• Review of Kaestner Case
• Paula Case Update
• What To Do Now
• Q&A

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Valuation and Estate Planning: Impact of COVID

In this video and presentation we tackled the following topics:

  • Valuation date / transfer date considerations in light of COVID.
  •  Given the rebound in equity markets, has the opportunity for gifting
    passed?
  • Impact of PPP loans and CARES Act on business valuation.
  • How are valuation methods and techniques impacted by the crisis?
  • Impact of the crisis on valuation discounts.
  • Considerations when using real estate and art appraisals
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