Speculation About Federal Estate Tax

By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi
Under present law, the federal estate tax exemption of $5 million per individual will end December 31st of 2012.  It would then revert to the $1 million mark.  Many think this change is unlikely, however, what would take its place?  A higher exemption?  Repeal of the tax all together and replace it with something else?  Only time will tell, however, reports from Indiana indicate some interest with replacing the federal estate tax with a sales tax assessed on all on-line purchases.

Photo credit: www.sxc.hu - free image

As the year moves forward we will likely see many more ideas and proposals made.  I'm curious to see what happens in the end, are you?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome Sharon!: Modern Day Grave Robbers

By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi
Image
Over the past year I have grown accustomed to flipping through the mail at home and seeing at least one mailing addressed to my mother, at our home address rather than the 1121 Valley Stream Drive of my childhood.  She, my mother, left this earthly world February 16th of 2014, but her junk mail lives on.  Most of the time I mark the enveloped "deceased", leaving it for the carrier to cart off the next day, hoping the life insurance company or peddler of products to keep seniors in their homes will update their mailing lifts.  Sharon no longer needs their services. And then one day a mailing caught my attention, it was from a huge on-line bank.  Tearing it open the warning I issue to clients here in my legal office struck home - identity theft of the dead.   Sharon -- Welcome to [insert Bank Name here]!  Here are the account numbers for your new 29 savings accounts!   A whirlwind of emotions ensued.  Sadness for a mother who was gone from my li...
Read more

A Parting Gift: 9 Things To Tell Your Personal Representative or Executor

By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi
Image
A Parting Gift: 9 Things To Tell Your Personal Representative or Executor By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi June 9, 2023 For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned. -Benjamin Franklin A will and a power of attorney are the basic foundational documents of an estate plan.  For those wishing to make the end-of-life paperwork as easy as possible for loved ones left behind I encourage you to roll up your sleeves and dig a bit deeper.  Here are 9 things to write in a letter to your Personal Representative (the term we use here in my home state of Wisconsin, but known as Executor elsewhere in the United States): Personal data, including: date of birth, dates of marriage(s) and divorce(s); Social Security Number; educational achievements along with the institution and date awarded; People's contact information -- the phone number, email, mailing address of those named in your documents, relatives, close family friends, support network (childcare, pet sitter, etc.); Pet care in...
Read more

From Overwhelmed to Organized: A 2026 Monthly Action Plan for Your Estate Plan

By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi
Image
From Overwhelmed to Organized: A 2026 Monthly Action Plan for Your Estate Plan By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi January 2, 2026 There is an old African proverb that reminds us: 'The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.' For many of my clients, estate planning feels like that elephant—massive, immovable, and frankly, a bit overwhelming. But you don't have to protect your entire legacy in a single afternoon; you just need a steady appetite for progress. In this post, we’ve broken down the 'elephant' into twelve manageable monthly bites to help you complete your plan by the end of 2026. Image by M. Gustafson Gervasi, 2026 January: The Discovery Phase Start the year by gathering any existing estate documents and taking a "lay of the land." Identify what is currently in place and, more importantly, what is missing or outdated to set a clear baseline for the months ahead. February: Choosing Your Advocates Identify the people you trust to make decision...
Read more