Trending in Philanthropy – Donor-advised Funds
In the wake of the 2018 tax law changes that, among other things, increased the standard deduction to a baseline of $12,000 for an individual and $24,000 for a married couple filing jointly, much attention has been given to the effects such changes might have on conventional charitable giving (as opposed to, for instance, planned […]
Tax Reform & Charitable Gift Planning
Much has already been written this fall since the House and Senate tax reform proposals were made public. What final form these bills will take when reconciled, or whether it passes at all, remains to be seen, but from what is known already there are plenty of planning considerations to make, some of which may […]
Love, Money, and Prenups
Rarely does the world of estate planning enter into the public consciousness. Aside from the occasional “reading of the Will” scene (sadly, these do not happen in modern practice), the closest we get is probably the prenups. Known by many names, the pre-marriage agreement, traditionally called an antenuptial agreement, but universally known now as the […]
Charitable Planning
Happy Holiday Gift, for Gift-Givers!Spoiler alert: Charitable IRA Rollover Provisions Made Permanent The end of the year is, probably more often than we would like, an exciting time for professional advisors, as Congress plays Santa and makes last-minute gifts, with the occasional lump of coal for good measure. It is a tall order to advocate […]
Estate and Tax Planning for Same-Sex Married Couples
As we near the end of the year and look back on significant events that have affected the estate planning arena, we would be remiss if we did not mention the new opportunities which are available to same-sex married couples. Every American knows that last summer, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in […]
Michigan Property Tax Uncapping Update
Owners of real property in Michigan have “enjoyed” having a cap imposed on the amount their property taxes can increase in any given year since 1995. A reasonable taxpayer might expect that, by the twentieth anniversary, the guidelines for when property taxes uncap would be well-established and consistently applied. However, the uncapping laws continue to […]