With a push by the Democratic party to return federal estate taxes to their historic norms, taxpayers need to act now before Congress passes legislation that could adversely impact their estates. Currently, the federal estate and gift tax exemption is set at $11.58 million per taxpayer. Assets included in a decedent’s estate that exceed the decedent’s remaining exemption available at death are taxed at a federal rate of 40 percent (with some states adding an additional state estate tax). However, each asset included in the decedent’s estate receives an income tax basis adjustment so that the asset’s basis equals its fair market value on the date of the decedent’s death. Thus, beneficiaries realize capital gain upon the subsequent sale of an asset only to the extent of the asset’s appreciation since the decedent’s death.
A political party change in Washington could mean not only lower estate and gift tax exemption amounts, but also the end of the longtime taxpayer benefit of stepped-up basis at death. To avoid the negative impact of these potential changes, there are a few wealth transfer strategies it would be prudent to consider before the year-end.
If you feel that potential changes in legislation will negatively impact your wealth, we strongly encourage you to schedule a meeting with the attorneys at Elville and Associates soon. We can review your estate plan and recommend changes and improvements to protect you from potential future changes in legislation.
To schedule a meeting with one of our attorneys, please contact Legal Administrator Mary Guay Kramer at mary@elvilleassociates.com, or 443-741-3635.