It’s 2021. COVID vaccines are being administered, the election is over, the electoral college votes have been certified, and the Georgia runoff has been concluded. We know that Joe Biden is the President, the House is controlled by the Democrats, and the Democrats hold a razor-thin margin that depends on a Vice Presidential tiebreaker and complete loyalty from the Democratic caucus.» Read More
With all the uncertainty we have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for effective estate planning has become more apparent than ever. Further, the prospect of significant changes to the federal transfer tax regime makes 2021 the perfect time for attorneys to help their clients focus on updating outdated estate planning documents, create new documents to ensure assets pass to clients’ intended beneficiaries, and advise clients about wealth transfer techniques to take advantage of the current federal transfer tax laws before any changes occur.» Read More
Every month, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) publishes interest rates that taxpayers use to determine the interest to be charged in income tax and estate planning strategies. Those published rates, called the Applicable Federal Rates, depend on the length of the term of a promissory note, the number of times interest is paid each year (i.e.,» Read More
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered our daily lives. Social distancing measures advanced by the CDC (i.e., maintaining six feet of distance, no group gatherings, wearing masks outside, setting aside documents traveling in the mail for 2-3 days to allow the virus to die on surfaces) are designed to slow the spread of the virus by flattening the curve and keep us safe.» Read More
On April 2, 2020, Pennsylvania Governor Wolf approved a temporary and limited suspension of current law 57 Pa.C.S. § 306, which requires the physical presence of notaries, for estate planning documents that require notarization or for which notarization is considered best practice.» Read More
As part of the federal government’s rapidly evolving response to the impact of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the IRS has announced that individuals covered under a high deductible health plan (HDHP) will not lose their eligibility to make or receive pre-tax contributions to a health savings account (HSA) merely because their health plan provides benefits associated with testing for and treatment of COVID-19 before the HDHP’s ordinary minimum deductibles are met.» Read More
Yesterday, the Treasury Department and the IRS issued a statement providing special tax payment relief to individuals and businesses in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
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As the festivities of the New Year have waned and we approach Tax Season, we bring you news of recent legislative development – The SECURE Act – that warrants your attention and may require changes to your estate plan.
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