Читать книгу 2012 Estate Planning - Martin Inc. Shenkman - Страница 5

This may be one of the most important estate and tax planning years in history. For instance, 2012 may prove to be the best and last great wealth-transfer planning opportunity for high net worth individuals. It may also be the best year to recognize income including dividends and long-term capital gains. Then again, it might not! The real issue is deciding what can and should be done with respect to estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax planning in the waning days of 2012. (In very simplistic terms, the GST tax is a separate wealth transfer tax, similar to a gift or estate tax, on transfers to “skip persons,” such as grandchildren.) For many taxpayers, the cost, complexity, and hassle of significant 2012 planning is relatively insignificant in comparison to the tremendous benefits that might be achieved. But a large number of taxpayers are simply not jumping on this opportunity. Never before has so much wealth been considered for transfer in such a short period of time. The goals of this book include:

•Helping to educate you on what planning options are available, and why you should consider moving quickly to address these options.

•Discussing what arrangements, traps, and special considerations affect 2012 planning.

•Explaining the unique issues created by the necessary compression of the planning sequence and how you can effectively plan within such a short timeframe.

This book is being written for both taxpayers and their advisers. While advisers may hunger for more citations and technical jargon, and taxpayers may struggle to understand some of the more technical discussions, the time compression of 2012 planning necessitates this approach. Taxpayers and their advisers will have to work together in an efficient and cohesive manner to complete planning steps in time. Thus, everyone has to be on the same page—hence one book. It is hoped that this unique approach will make 2012 planning a successful endeavor for readers of all backgrounds.