July 14, 2020 For those fortunate to have jobs that allow working remotely, the transition to working from home (WFH) during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place has been relatively seamless. Granted, those with children at home, especially small children, have graduated to an Olympic level of multitasking. But given the risk to public health, WFH life has … Continued
April 28, 2020 A GRAT may sound like a character from a Dr. Seuss book, but in reality, it is a great estate planning tool for clients with large estates who are concerned about paying gift and estate taxes. A Grantor Retained Annuity Trust, known as a GRAT, is an irrevocable trust established by an … Continued
April 28, 2020 As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the globe, the poorest and most vulnerable members of society are being hardest hit and most likely will be the slowest to recover. They are in need of generosity now. And, while you may already be charitably inclined, the CARES Act provides enhanced tax savings advantages … Continued
April 9, 2020 The recent and significant volatility in the capital markets has caused a lot of trouble and worry, on many fronts; not to mention our collective personal health and safety concerns. Although equity markets are down significantly from their highs just a month ago, there are various personal financial planning strategies that could … Continued
We regularly work with entrepreneurs and tech employees who benefit from Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) and also often are impacted by Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT); but the relatively new tax law from 2017 offers some important related changes to know about that could positively affect you if you choose to exercise your ISOs this year. … Continued
Tax-loss harvesting has been a major topic of conversation the past few years as strong equity returns have left portfolios with sizable unrealized gains. Opportunities to offset capital gains have presented themselves, as witnessed by last year’s severe market decline in December and the resulting frenzied activity to capture losses. While offsetting capital gains with … Continued
“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” claimed Benjamin Franklin. But at least with the latter matter, there can be different degrees of severity. Indeed, in some respects, we are generally living in a relatively benign tax environment these days but given the increasingly populist and progressive sentiments … Continued
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 generously increased the Lifetime Exemption for gifts from what was a $5 million base amount per person to $10 million for 2018, along with inflation-adjusted increases through 2025. But this attractive provision is due to sunset in 2026 – that is, it is set to expire on … Continued
If you own a family vacation home in the mountains of Tahoe or anywhere else in the country or world, congratulations! The incredible memories made during family getaways can truly last a lifetime for so many generations. Since they are only used occasionally, many family homes sit unoccupied for the majority of the year, providing … Continued
What are they? Opportunity Zones were created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). According to the IRS, an Opportunity Zone is “an economically-distressed community where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.” States and territories were quick to take advantage of this chance to encourage local … Continued