What Is the “Death Tax”?

A death tax is associated with any tax imposed on someone’s property after they pass away. This is a colloquial term that got popular in the 1990s to describe inheritance and estate taxes. In estate taxes the estate belonging to the deceased will pay the tax before the assets are transferred to the beneficiary. However,… Read More »

Four Ways of Planning for Incapacity

Most people recognize the importance of creating a comprehensive estate plan, but have you thought about incapacity? If you don’t have a plan for what happens to your care if you become unable to manage it on your own, this will fall to the courts and could add stress and delays for your family members…. Read More »

Estate Tax Portability: What to Know

High net worth married couples who may owe federal estate taxes when the second spouse passes away, could tap into a strategy known as portability, which was recently improved on behalf of couples by the IRS. Even though a spouse could inherit all of their partner’s assets tax free, estate taxes could potentially be owed… Read More »

What Happens If a Trustee Wants to Resign?

If you intend to use a trust for estate planning reasons in California, you must carefully choose who you’ll appoint as trustee. Failing to take proper care in doing this could mean that your trustee decides to resign. Some people appointed as trustee don’t realize all the work that goes into it or the level… Read More »