“...in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”
— Benjamin Franklin
Estate Attorney NJ
“...in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”
— Benjamin Franklin
As I’m sure almost everyone has heard by now, the 2010 Tax Relief Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama. To many it was surprising enough that they passed anything. And to see what they actually passed is . . . well, almost unbelievable from an estate planner’s perspective.
Here is a brief summary of the estate planning components of the new law:
Originally there was no estate tax in 2010. Now there is a RETROACTIVE ESTATE TAX on amounts over $5.0 million per individual which will be taxed at a 35% rate. However, estates of individuals passing away in 2010 will get to CHOOSE between the RETROACTIVE TAX or the “NO TAX” AND IT’S CARRYOVER BASIS.
The estate tax will be imposed on individual estates in excess of $5 million in 2011 and 2012 at a rate of 35%.
THE GIFT TAX EXEMPTION WILL BE $5 MILLION. That’s right – MUCH higher than it has been or anyone anticipated it would be. This will allow for some incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to create a legacy that will last for generations to come.
PORTABILITY IS ADDED. This is a new concept to many people (and many attorneys and planners too!). For married couples, any unused portion of the estate tax exemption from the first spouse to die can be used as an added exemption when the second spouse passes. Watch out though, as there are certain procedures that must be followed when the first spouse passes for this to work. More to come on that later. This doesn’t invalidate the need for proper estate planning – just the opposite.
THE GENERATION SKIPPING TRANSFER TAX EXEMPTION amount is increased to $5 million as well. One significant planning Christmas gift that Congress gave us is NO GST TAX THIS YEAR! If you have a client who wanted to set up trusts for grandchildren or skip persons – you only have until December 31st to do so!! The Act provides that for any GST made after December 31, 2009 but before January 1, 2011, the GST tax rate is ZERO. What Congress has done by reviving the GST tax for 2010 and setting the rate at 0% is to acknowledge that GST’s may be made in 2010 and such GST’s are subject to taxation, albeit at a tax rate of
0%.
The critical thing is that the new tax law ONLY LASTS FOR TWO YEARS! It seems that hasn’t had much play in the media yet, but two years will go very fast, and what planning do we need to do after that? Still up in the air. Congress came close to letting the law revert back to 2001 law this time, so what will they do next time? We still are in a state of flux for planning purposes.
This should be a big red flag for you to get your estate plan reviewed by a qualified estate planner. Our offices offers a free consultation to all visitors to who mention this blog. Please call us at 908-286-1900 to set up your appointment.
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