Resource Search

New tax legislation is most likely to happen if next year the Democratic Party controls the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the White House. Now is the time to develop a contingency plan that can be implemented depending on the outcome of the U.S. election. Planning strategies that can be customized to the needs of each family are available, including taxable gifts, pre-fund life insurance trusts, spousal access trusts, intra-family loan, dynasty trusts, and GRAT planning.

Planning for future generations is the greatest gift family businesses can give, particularly during times of uncertainty. Transferring assets while they have a low value is a technique that is used to lock-in or freeze those low values in anticipation the asset will one day significantly increase in value. There are estate tax planning techniques that can be implemented which transfer the greatest amount of value from an estate while using the least amount of exemption.

Domicile determines a taxpayer’s home state for income tax purposes. While proof of residency can be as simple as getting a driver’s license from the new state, proof of domicile can be much more complex. Each state has their own requirements when determining a taxpayer’s domicile. The process can be challenging and tricky, but there are several ways for taxpayers to cut ties with their previous state of domicile.

Despite the popularity of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), there are structural issues that make them less than ideal for many high-net-worth investors. A tax-managed separately managed account (SMA) may deliver the same diversified, index-like exposure while offering increased after-tax returns for these investors. The benefits can be substantial.

As a clearer picture of each U.S. presidential candidate’s platforms emerges, many have yet to consider how a potential change in leadership may impact their current estate tax and income tax. This guides provides a thorough outline and comparison of both Biden’s and Trump’s tax platforms and includes possible impacts to high-income earners, high net worth individuals, and families. To help mitigate the tax impacts, several key strategies are brought into focus.

COVID-19 has pushed many healthy businesses into a distressed position where they find themselves needing to raise financing, restructure debt, or sell the business to survive. For private equity funds with dry powder—available cash—on hand, a strategic investment in those businesses are under consideration. However, an acquisition of a distressed business is often more challenging than a traditional Mergers and Acquisitions transaction from both a deal and tax perspective.

Layered beneath the difficulties of adapting to the challenges of the COVID environment, there are opportunities for family offices to capitalize on growth that line the path to sustained success. In this e-book of insights, learn how to help your family office move through the pandemic and thrive—from investment analysis and tax strategies to risk management and operational insights.

With the distinct possibility that the U.S. election can result in tax law changes, it’s time to reinforce a golden opportunity for tax and estate planning. In an environment of temporary high gift exemptions and other favorable conditions, it’s an ideal time to consider three strategies that can take advantage of them through various trust vehicles that includes gifts to grantor trusts, installment sales to dynasty trusts, and transferring assets to grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATS) and charitable lead annuity trusts (CLATS).

There is no avoiding the subject: COVID-19 has made it a tough period for many U.S. businesses. While a few sectors have benefitted from the pandemic, the vast majority are considering taking on additional debt or equity, selling off portions of the business, liquidating the business altogether, or declaring bankruptcy. This high-level overview provides business owners with some of the key topics and restructuring strategies they should be aware of.

Ahead of the U.S. presidential election, the Biden campaign has put forward four main tax policy changes worth analyzing, all of which involve an increase in taxes. What will it mean for portfolios and will it alter investors' decisions?