Monthly Archives: February 2012

Be Sure to File Your Gift Tax Return…the IRS is Watching

If you give anyone more than $13,000 during the year, then you are required to file a gift tax return with your income tax return. Unfortunately, many do not know about this requirement, choose to ignore it, or do not … Continue reading

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Don’t trust your children to do what they say they will do

Of course, we all want to trust our children. For many, their estate plan is trusting a child to do what they know the parent would want them to do. It might be making a bank account joint with one … Continue reading

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Having a Will does not avoid probate!

When asked why they want have a Will, many people tell me it is because they want to avoid probate.  A Will, however, never avoids probate. It only becomes effective once you have died and a probate estate has been opened … Continue reading

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Don’t forget your pets when making your estate plan

Have you made arrangements for someone to care for your pets if you become incapacitated? Who will care for them when you die? Have you set aside funds to cover the cost of caring for your pets? What rescue/shelter/organization would … Continue reading

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When you add a child to the deed to your home you are making a gift that might be taxable at a 35% tax rate

When you give something to someone that they did not pay for, that is a gift. And, during 2012, if you give more than $13,000 worth of gifts to someone during the year, you might be subjecting yourself to a … Continue reading

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Only the property that is placed in your Trust will be controlled by the Trust

Think of a Trust as a box sitting on your table. The only property that will be controlled by the Trust is what has been put inside the box. This is often called “funding” your trust. Stuff is put in … Continue reading

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