New Jersey Estate Planning, Probate, Tax & Elder Law Center

Your Information source for wills, trusts, estate tax minimization, powers of attorney, living wills, health care directives, special needs trusts, asset protection, charitable giving, guardianship, succession planning, retirement and estate administration.

For Tax Professionals: A Guide to the IRS’s Voluntary Disclosure Practice

IRS Commissioner Shulman has invited persons with unreported foreign accounts to come forward and avail themselves of the IRS’s Voluntary Disclosure Practice. That practice is described in the Internal Revenue Manual 9.5.11.9. The Practice has a bearing upon whether  the IRS will conduct a criminal investigation and recommend that the Department of Justice  should commence [...]

New Tax Law Makes Significant Estate Tax Changes

On December 17, 2010 President Obama signed into law the “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010.” The new law: • Extends for two years the current income tax rates and other income tax rates commonly called the “Bush Tax Cuts.” • Provides tax incentives to businesses • Cuts federal estate [...]

Dying in 2010: Chaos

Inaction by Congress has left the dying/inheritance process in chaos! Uncertainty reigns! No one knows what to do! Although in 2010 ONLY there is no limit on the amount of money and other assets a person can leave to heirs without having to pay federal estate taxes, there are a number of critical caveats. CAVEAT [...]

Estate Tax Pitfalls Seen In Court Case

Few things get people madder at their estate planners than fights over who must pay taxes when someone dies. A big source of trouble: the patchwork of state rules that apply. Most states say those who inherit have to share the tax burden for an estate. Many wills include provisions designed to take care of [...]

New Jersey inheritance tax

If you live in New Jersey, then you’re lucky enough to live in one of the two states that collects both a separate state inheritance tax and estate tax (the other is Maryland). Currently the following rules apply with regard to the New Jersey inheritance tax: •Charitable organizations are exempt from the tax. •All other [...]

2010 Estate Tax Repeal and New Capital Gains Regime

Congress instead substituted a new system of taxation that will potentially collect more taxes from many of our clients than the estate tax.

Pointers on the Yearly Gift Tax Exemption

When you give money or property to another person as a gift, you may have to pay a gift tax. The tax is paid by the donor. The person receiving the gift does not have to pay the tax The exemptions for gifts and the gift tax rates are established by the IRS. In 2009 [...]

Year End Estate Planning Tips – Make Annual Exclusion Gifts

This year the annual gift tax exclusion is $13,000 per person and in 2010 the exclusion will remain the same.

Estate Planning Discussions: difficult, emotional and stressful

Delaying these discussions can lead to significant family hardship and a loss of highly prized and hard-earned assets.