Federal Gift and Estate Tax Law 2012

Overview

The “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance & Job Creation Act of 2010” (TRA 2010) reunified the gift and estate tax systems and increased the amount a person can transfer to children and future generations during lifetime or at death to $5,000,000. As of the beginning of 2012, indexing puts that number at $5,120,000. The window on this opportunity to fully fund a generational legacy of over $10 million per couple will close on December 31, 2012. Beginning January 1, 2013, the amount passing free of gift and estate tax is back to an indexed $1,000,000. Acting today to fund a legacy means the next generations would have an additional $8,000,000 if not more over time, totally free of gift or estate tax.

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