Facing down an uncertain election outcome and the possibility of tax reform in 2021, many families started transferring substantial amounts of wealth last year, making large gifts to take advantage of the historically high gift and generation-skipping transfer tax exemptions.
So, you inherited a retirement account. Before you make any decisions on when and how to access the money, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the rules that apply to different beneficiaries.
The For the 99.5% Act reduces the estate tax exemption to $3.5 million per individual and $7 million per couple. The bill adds higher tax brackets for larger estates.
Protecting a nest egg is tough enough. Don’t make the situation far worse.
Under current rules, the federal estate tax won’t ever affect you, unless you’re quite wealthy. However, that could change rapidly, even if you are far from rich.
Although uncertainty surrounding the likelihood of tax reform continues for the moment, there are still several wealth transfer strategies that can be considered by those wanting to make gifts.
By being very selective about who receives which type of money—whether Traditional or Roth IRAs, after-tax brokerage accounts, life insurance, etc.—you can dramatically cut the share that goes to the IRS and increase the amount going to your family.
Estate planning can help you pass on assets to your heirs, while potentially minimizing taxes. When gifting assets, it’s important to consider when and how the generation-skipping tax transfer (GSTT) may apply.
Charitable remainder trusts give you more options and more control on how your heirs inherit, now that the “stretch” IRA is a thing of the past.
Everyone, regardless of financial status or age, can benefit from having an estate plan—assuming you have assets to leave and people to leave them to.
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