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After spending most of 2010 procrastinating, Congress finally decided to throw a wrench into estate planning in mid-December by enacting the Taxpayer Relief Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Since then, all the estate planning professionals have been scrambling to make sense of the new law and ferret out the implications it has for taxpayers now. Some of the effects of this law are summarized in a few bullet points below:

With the recent increase in the lifetime generation skipping tax exemption to $5 million, effective for 2011 and 2012, you may be thinking that there is no way that this could apply to you (or your spouse). While this may only affect a smaller portion of taxpayers than before for those with potential exposure, let me explain how this works, as simplistically as possible.

We’ve made it well past the trust filing due date of April 15th, and in reflecting back on what we noted with our trust clients, I thought it would be helpful to educate our trustees as to why we ask for certain information in preparing your trust returns.

The previously issued proposed regulations issued in July 2007 regarding trust investment advice costs have been withdrawn and new proposed regulations have been issued. 

Ohio S.B. 117 signed by Governor Kasich will take effect in March 2012.  One of the  more interesting changes made by this bill is in regards to trustee duties with respect to life insurance as a trust asset. 

By Barb Theofilos, CPA