THE LATEST

• May 23, 2012

  Preparing for 'Taxmageddon'; Bischoff: Beneficial estate and gift tax provisions are set to expire at the end of this year. Here's what to expect.

  SmartMoney.com

  The 2010 Bush tax cut extension legislation also established a favorable, but temporary, federal estate and gift tax regime for 2011 and 2012. But we will go back to the bad old days on Jan. 1, 2013, unless Congress takes action and the ...

• May 11, 2012

  How Facebook's Elite Skirt Estate Tax

  WSJ.com

  Investors are focusing on Facebook's offering price as the company prepares to go public as soon as next week. Tax specialists are paying attention to something else: how half a dozen of the firm's luminaries, including founder Mark ...

• April 30, 2012

  Joining Church and Estate; Passing on your religious beliefs to heirs can be a tricky business

  WSJ.com

  For many people, estate planning isn't just about financial assets and other practical concerns. It's also about honoring their religious beliefs and passing those values on to family members.

• April 14, 2012

  Inherited IRAs: a Sweet Deal; A Generous Benefit for Families Survives a Senate Challenge

  WSJ.com

  Inherited individual retirement accounts made news earlier this year when the Senate Finance Committee proposed to make heirs empty them within five years of the benefactor's death.

• April 11, 2012

  Mega Millionaires' Big Tax Bills; Bischoff: Winners of the recent Mega Millions jackpot face some serious tax hits. Here's the breakdown.

  SmartMoney.com

  You hear it all the time: the rich don't pay their fair share in taxes. Baloney! For proof, consider the daunting tax bills that will be faced by winners of the recent Mega Millions jackpot. Here's the true story.

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  March 30, 2012

  To Live and Die in Tennessee; Governor Haslam now endorses death-tax repeal.

  WSJ.com

  More good news from the states. After our Saturday editorial on states eliminating the death tax, Tennessee Govenor Bill Haslam called to say he has seen the light and favors doing the same in the Volunteer State. He had campaigned in 2010 ...

• March 29, 2012

  I'm Not the Problem On Death Tax Reform

  WSJ.com

  Regarding your editorial "Death Tax Defying" (March 24): In early January I proposed legislation to raise the exemption level on Tennessee's estate tax from the current rate of $1 million to the federal exemption level of $5 ...

• March 27, 2012

  The Wise Canadian Intergenerational Tax

  WSJ.com

  The case for abolishing estate taxes, articulated in your editorial "Death Tax Defying" (March 24), makes me think about why Canada did this 40 years ago. Your analysis resonates with the logic and socioeconomic and political ...

• March 24, 2012

  Death Tax Defying; Estate tax repeal gains momentum in the states.

  WSJ.com

  While Washington continues to debate what to do with the federal death tax—the top rate is now 35% and is scheduled to rise to 55% next year—states are starting to recognize that their high estate taxes are a good way to chase away wealth ...

• March 16, 2012

  The Rush to Avoid Gift Taxes; How to Make Sure You Don't End Up With 'Donor's Remorse'

  WSJ.com

  As the deadline approaches for taking advantage of the government's $5 million gift-tax exemption, estate planners are dealing with the fear of "donor's remorse." Families are looking to set up so-called irrevocable ...

• March 4, 2012

  What's the Fate of the Estate Tax?

  WSJ.com

  Q:Is there any recent information on the federal estate-tax law scheduled to expire after 2012? P.R., Coronado, Calif. A: Nobody knows what will happen to the federal estate tax after this year.

• March 3, 2012

  Why You May Need A "Trust Protector"

  Barrons.com

  It used to be that you would write out your will, name some trustees and hope for the best for all of eternity. But, increasingly, folks aren't leaving it to luck. They're appointing a "trust protector," someone given ...

• March 3, 2012

  The Art of Passing Along Art

  WSJ.com

  Families who bought art in the 1950s and '60s are running into an unanticipated problem: collections that have appreciated so much that they now make up a large chunk of their estates.

• March 1, 2012

  Gimme Tax Shelter; With talk of tax hikes in the air -- and pressure on the U.S. to pay off its debt -- many advisers say now's the time to prepare.

  SmartMoney.com

  It has been said that nothing is certain but death and taxes. How much those taxes will be, ironically, is among the biggest uncertainties there are these days. Indeed, with the Bush-era tax cuts and higher exemption limits for the estate ...

• February 28, 2012

  Tax Tips for Same-Sex Couples; Bischoff: For tax purposes most same-sex couples are still considered single. But in some cases, that's a good thing.

  SmartMoney.com

  There have been developments regarding federal income tax filing issues for same-sex couples. I'll tell you what you need to know, but let's first cover the necessary background information.

• February 6, 2012

  Check Your Life Insurance; We reveal some secrets of the American Dream.

  SmartMoney.com

  Most people don't realize it, but unless you plan carefully, there's a chance the federal government will end up as a major beneficiary of your life insurance policy. While it is true that life insurance death benefits are paid ...

• February 6, 2012

  Retire Here, Not There: South Carolina; Scores of retirees have discovered Hilton Head Island. Here are four less expensive options.

  SmartMoney.com

  For the more than 36 million Americans who will turn 65 in the coming decade, the best cities and towns to retire in now have a much higher bar to clear: They can't just be great places -- they have to be affordable. Each week, ...

• February 1, 2012

  This Adviser Enjoys Friends in High Places

  WSJ.com

  Sometime around 2006, when Facebook Inc. was little more than a collection of T-shirt-clad 20-somethings in a sparsely populated office, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. private-client adviser Divesh Makan showed up to add a dash of formality.

• January 30, 2012

  Estate Planning Update for Singles; Here's what unmarried individuals need to know about recent tax changes.

  SmartMoney.com

  The 2010 tax cut extension package made beneficial changes to the federal estate and gift tax rules for 2012. That's good news, but your estate plan may need an update to take advantage of the benefits. Here's what unmarried ...

• January 30, 2012

  Estate Tax Tips for Married Couples; The generous $5.12 million exemption for individuals who pass away in 2012 has thrown some new twists into estate-tax planning for married couples.

  SmartMoney.com

  Thanks to the generous $5.12 million exemption for individuals who pass away in 2012, the assets of relatively few people in the United States will be exposed to the federal estate tax over the next few years. To see if you and/or your ...