Legal Updates & Commentary for Tax & Estate Planning
Last week’s post[i] considered how the newly-enacted qualified opportunity zone (“QOZ”) rules seek to encourage investment and stimulate economic growth in certain distressed communities by providing various federal income tax benefits to taxpayers who invest in businesses that operate within these zones.[ii] After describing these tax incentives, the post…
A lot has been written about the tax benefits of investing in a Qualified Opportunity Fund. Some have suggested that the gain from the sale of a closely held business may be invested in such a fund in order to defer the recognition of this gain and to shelter some of the appreciation thereon.
In…
Shortly after Section 199A was added to the Code at the end of 2017, and again after the IRS proposed regulations under the newly-enacted provision last summer, many clients called us with the following question: “Will my rental real estate activities qualify for the 199A deduction?”
In most cases, we were able to answer confidently…
One of the most challenging problems facing a business is how to attract, and then retain, qualified employees.[i] The competition among businesses can be fierce and, in order to succeed, businesses have, over the years, developed a number of compensation alternatives. Some of these have become “standard” options,[ii] thereby forcing…
As our readers know, this blog is dedicated to addressing the tax-related business and succession planning issues that are most often encountered by the owners of a closely held business. Occasionally, however, we have crossed over into the space occupied by tax-exempt charitable organizations inasmuch as such an exempt organization (“EO”) may…
As kids playing ball, we learned about the “do-over” rule, pursuant to which the player in question was allowed to try again, without penalty, whatever it was that they were doing. As we got older and our games changed, some of us learned about “taking a mulligan,” again without penalty.[i] It may not…
Our last post considered the division of a business between family members as a means of preempting the adverse consequences that will often follow disagreements within the family as to the management or direction of the business. https://www.taxlawforchb.com/2018/12/business-purpose-and-dividing-the-family-corporation-think-before-you-let-it-rip/.
This week, as family members return to work – after having come…
Many of us encounter family-owned corporations in which the founder’s children are engaged in the business to varying degrees. They may even own shares in the corporation, typically having received them as gifts from their parents.[i] These situations may develop in such a way that they present difficult succession planning considerations for…
As we enter the “season of giving” and the end of yet another year, the thoughts of many tax advisers turn to . . . tax planning.(i) In keeping with the spirit of the season, an adviser may suggest that a client with a closely held…
If there was one part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) that estate planners were especially pleased to see, it was the increase in the basic exclusion amount from $5.49 million, in 2017, to $11.18 million for gifts made, and decedents dying, in 2018.[i] However, many estate planners failed to appreciate the…
