Tax Reform and Estate Planning: What’s on The Table

As Congress and President Trump pursue their stated goal of passing sweeping new tax legislation before the end of the year, many taxpayers are wondering how such legislation will affect them. One area of particular interest is estate planning; specifically, the future of gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer (GST) taxes. Potential Estate Tax Law Changes […]Continue reading

Practice the Fine Art of Inclusion at Your Holiday Gatherings

It’s that time of year, business owners — a time when you’re not only trying to wind down the calendar in profitable fashion, but also preparing year-end financials and contemplating next year’s budget. And amidst all this, you likely have a holiday employee gathering to plan. This seemingly innocuous task can be just as tricky […]Continue reading

Make the Holidays Bright For You and Your Loved Ones With Annual Exclusion Gifts

As the holiday season quickly approaches, gift giving will be top of mind. While gifts of electronics, toys and clothes are nice, making tax-free gifts of cash using your annual exclusion is beneficial for both you and your family. Even in a potentially changing estate tax environment, making annual exclusion gifts before year end can […]Continue reading

Could An FSA Offer the Benefits Flexibility You Need?

Business owners have to make tough choices when it comes to providing benefits to their employees. Many companies, especially newer or smaller ones, may understandably prioritize flexibility. No one wants to get locked into a benefits offering that’s cumbersome to administer and expensive to maintain. Well, there’s one possibility that has the word “flexible” built […]Continue reading

The Write Stuff: A Letter of Instructions

When you draft an estate plan, the centerpiece is your will or living trust. Such a document determines who gets what, where, when and how, as well as tying up the loose ends of your estate. A valid will or living trust can be supplemented by other legally binding documents, such as trusts (or additional […]Continue reading

Update Your Estate Plan to Reflect Your Second Marriage

If you’re in a second marriage or planning another trip down the aisle, it’s vital to review and revise (if necessary) your estate plan. You probably want to provide for your current spouse and not inadvertently benefit your former spouse. And if you have children from each marriage, juggling their interests can be a challenge. […]Continue reading

4 Tips on Making Your Marketing Emails a Blast

No business owner wants to send out spam. Even the term “email blast,” the practice of launching a flurry of targeted messages at customers and prospects, has mixed connotations these days. Yet email remains a viable and even necessary communications channel. Here are four tips on making your marketing emails a blast (in the fun […]Continue reading

A Dynasty Trust Keeps on Giving Long Into the Future

A Dynasty Trust Keeps on Giving Long Into the Future BY THEUS LAW OFFICES With a properly executed estate plan, your wealth can be enjoyed by your children and even their children. But did you know that by using a dynasty trust you can extend the estate tax benefits for several generations, and perhaps indefinitely? A [...]Continue reading

Valuation Often Affects Succession Plans in Hard-to-See Ways

Any business owner developing a succession plan should rightfully assume that regular business valuations are a must. When envisioning the valuation process, you’re likely to focus on its end result: a reasonable, defensible value estimate of your business as of a certain date. But lurking beneath this number is a variety of often hard-to-see issues. […]Continue reading

Who Should Own Your Life Insurance Policy?

If you own life insurance policies at your death, the proceeds will be included in your taxable estate. Ownership is usually determined by several factors, including who has the right to name the beneficiaries of the proceeds. The way around this problem is to not own the policies when you die. However, don’t automatically rule […]Continue reading

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