by Matthew Erskine | Dec 30, 2015 | Estate Planning Blogs, Tax Planning Blogs
On December 18, 2015 President Obama signed the “2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act” that not only funded the government in 2016, but also made a large number of extensions, delays, and changes to a wide array of individual and business tax provisions....
by Matthew Erskine | Nov 6, 2014 | Collections Blogs, Estate Planning Blogs, Tax Planning Blogs
There is a buzz about art as an investment asset class. Clients and their advisors are seriously considering making direct investments in artwork or indirect investments though art-specific investment funds. Art is indeed an asset class, but a recent estate audit I...
by Matthew Erskine | Jul 16, 2013 | Financial Planning Blogs, Tax Planning Blogs
The Staff of the Senate Finance Committee, “Economic Security: Health, Retirement, Life Insurance, Fringe Benefits and Executive Compensation,” 113th Cong., 1st Sess. (May 23, 2013), released a summary of some of the tax reform proposals that would be considered by...
by Matthew Erskine | Jan 3, 2013 | Tax Planning Blogs
Congress has passed, and the President is expected to sign, a broad tax bill that follows the Bill passed by the Senate. Here are the changes at a glance with more detail below. Significantly, no major changes have occurred to the Estate and Gift tax laws, despite...
by Matthew Erskine | Dec 4, 2012 | Estate Planning Blogs, Tax Planning Blogs
On Nov. 15, 2012, the IRS issued a Private Letter Ruling (PLR 201245006) that the foreign assets of a nonresident alien decedent’s irrevocable trust (not included in the decedent’s gross estate for federal estate tax purposes) were received by the...
by Matthew Erskine | Jul 12, 2012 | Collections Blogs, Tax Planning Blogs
I try to keep my blog posts focused and not use them as a soap box for my personal causes, but this is an exception. A fire this week at Heritage University, located in Washington in Yakima Valley , has destroyed a key building, including the arts classrooms and two...