Filing Taxes for a Deceased Family Member – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

If you are the executor of a loved one’s estate, and if they were well-off, there are several tax issues that you’ll need to deal with. The article “How to file a loved one’s taxes after they’ve passed away” from Market Watch gives a general overview of estate tax liabilities.

Winding down the financial aspects of the estate is one of the tasks done by the executor. That person will most likely be identified in the decedent’s will. If the family trust holds the assets on behalf of the deceased, the trust document will name a trustee. If the person died without a will, also known as “intestate,” the probate court will appoint an administrator.

The executor is responsible for filing the federal income tax for the decedent’s estate if a return needs to be filed. Income generated by the estate is taxed. The estate’s first federal income tax year starts immediately after the date of death. The tax year-end date can be December 31 or the end of any other month that results in a first tax year of 12 months or less. The IRS form 1041 is used for estates and trusts and the due date is the 15th day of the fourth month after the tax year-end.

For example, if a person died in 2019, the estate tax return deadline is April 15, 2020 if the executor chooses the December 31 date as the tax year-end. An extension is available, but it’s only for five and a half months. In this example, an extension could be given to September 30.

There is no need to file a Form 1041 if all of the decedent’s income producing assets are directly distributed to the spouse or other heirs and bypass probate. This is the case when property is owned as joint tenants with right of survivorship, as well as with IRAs and retirement plan accounts and life insurance proceeds with designated beneficiaries.

Unless the estate is valued at more than $11.2 million for a person who passed in 2018 or $11.4 million in 2019, no federal estate tax will be due.

The executor needs to find out if there were large gifts given. That means gifts larger than $15,000 in 2018-2019 to a single person, $14,000 for gifts in 2013-2017; $13,000 in 2009-2012, $12,000 for 2006-2008; $11,000 for 2002-2005 and $10,000 for 2001 and earlier. If these gifts were made, the excess over the applicable threshold for the year of the gift must be added back to the estate, to see if the federal estate tax exemption has been surpassed. Check with the estate attorney to ensure that this is handled correctly.

The unlimited marital deduction privilege permits any amount of assets to be passed to the spouse, as long as the decedent was married, and the surviving spouse is a U.S. citizen. However, the surviving spouse will need good estate planning to pass the family’s wealth to the next generation without a large tax liability.

While the taxes and tax planning are more complex where significant assets are involved, an estate planning attorney can strategically plan to protect family assets when the assets are not so grand. Estate planning is more important for those with modest assets as there is a greater need to protect the family and less room for error.

Reference: Market Watch (June 17, 2019) “How to file a loved one’s taxes after they’ve passed away”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Leaving a Legacy Is Not Just about Money – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

A legacy is not necessarily about money, says a survey that was conducted by Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Ave Wave. More than 3,000 adults (2,600 of them were 50 and older) were surveyed and focus groups were asked about end-of-life planning and leaving a legacy.

The article, “How to leave a legacy no matter how much money you have” from The Voice, shared a number of the participant’s responses.

A total of 94% of those surveyed said that a life well-lived, is about “having friends and family that love me.” 75% said that a life well-lived is about having a positive impact on society. A mere 10% said that a life well-lived is about accumulating a lot of wealth.

People want to be remembered for how they lived, not what they did at work or how much money they saved. Nearly 70% said they most wanted to be remembered for the memories they shared with loved ones. And only nine percent said career success was something they wanted to be remembered for.

While everyone needs to have their affairs in order, especially people over age 55, only 55% of those surveyed reported having a will. Only 18% have what are considered the three key essentials for legacy planning: a will, a health care directive and a durable power of attorney.

The will addresses how property is to be distributed, names an executor of the estate and, if there are minor children, names who should be their guardian. The health care directive gives specific directions as to end-of-life preferences and designates someone to make health care decisions for you if you can’t. A power of attorney designates someone to make financial decisions on your behalf when you can’t do so because of illness or incapacity.

An estate plan is often only considered when a trigger event occurs, like a loved one dying without an estate plan. That is a wake-up call for the family once they see how difficult it is when there is no estate plan.

Parents age 55 and older had interesting views on leaving inheritances and who should receive their estate. Only about a third of boomers surveyed and 44% of Gen Xers said that it’s a parent’s duty to leave some kind of inheritance to their children. A higher percentage of millennials surveyed—55%–said that this was a duty of parents to their children.

The biggest surprise of the survey: 65% of people 55 and older reported that they would prefer to give away some of their money while they are still alive. A mere 8% wanted to give away all their assets before they died. Only 27% wanted to give away all their money after they died.

Reference: The Voice (June 16, 2019) “How to leave a legacy no matter how much money you have”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Is My Irrevocable Trust Revocable? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Irrevocable trusts aren’t as irrevocable as their name implies, according to Barron’s recent article, “Are Irrevocable Trusts True to Their Name?” The article says that for both new and existing trusts, there are ways to build in flexibility to make changes to a grantor’s wishes if terms are no longer appropriate or desirable for beneficiaries.

However, there are strict rules that apply. These rules vary between states. One of the main reasons for an irrevocable trust is to remove assets from an estate for estate tax purposes. If the rules aren’t followed carefully, a trust can be rendered unlawful. If that happens, the assets may be returned to the grantor’s estate and estate taxes may apply.

If you want to be certain that beneficiaries have some discretion in the future if circumstances change, grantors should build flexibility into the trust when it’s established. This can be accomplished by giving a power of appointment to beneficiaries. However, if the beneficiaries are looking to change the terms or the structure of an existing trust, the trust must be modified according to state law.

Most states allow trusts to be decanted. When you decant a trust, you pour its terms into a new trust and leave out the parts that are no longer wanted. Just like decanting a bottle of wine, it’s like the sediment left in the wine bottle.

In a state that doesn’t permit decanting, a trustee can ask a judge to allow it. You should be careful with decanting because you don’t want to do anything that would adversely affect the original tax attributes of the trust.

The power of appointment in a trust or the ability to decant can’t be given to the person who set up the trust. Thus, grantors can’t have a “re-do” or rescind the terms. It’s only trustees and the beneficiaries that can do that.

If you and your attorney create a trust with a lot of flexibility for the trustee, you may want to appoint an institutional trustee from a bank, trust, or other financial services company.

They can be either the sole trustee or serve as co-trustees with a personal, non-institutional trustee, like a family member. This can help to eliminate future conflicts.

Reference: Barron’s (June 18, 2019) “Are Irrevocable Trusts True to Their Name?”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Stretch IRA May be Disappearing Soon – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Short of calling your representatives in Congress and hollering, there’s not much any of us can do about a proposed change to the rules that govern IRAs, reports nj.com in the article “Your kid’s inheritance could take a giant tax hit if these bills become law. Thanks, Congress.”

For years, non-spouse beneficiaries who inherit IRAs have had the ability to stretch out required distributions over their lifetimes. That meant that inherited IRAs could stay safe and sound out of the IRS’s reach, except for annual distributions that were quite small. If a grandchild inherited the IRA, the wealth stretched even further.

Depending on the final details of the legislation, the only people who will be able stretch an IRA will be spouses.

Current rules require non-spouse beneficiaries to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) every year over the course of their life expectancy, as per the IRS life expectancy tables. Because they are taken over the lifetime of a younger beneficiary, they can be small. This means the impact of the distribution on the individual’s income taxes are minimal and the IRA can grow tax deferred over a long period of time.

Congress is looking for revenue and the wealth of Americans in IRA accounts is in their sight lines.

First, the House passed the SECURE Act, which says that beneficiaries must completely empty their inherited IRAs within 10 years of ownership. The Senate then passed the RESA Act, which is a little different. It would allow a stretch for the first $450,000 of aggregated IRAs, then anything over that would have to be distributed within five years.

Both bills call for changes to apply to inherited IRAs and inherited Roth IRAs for deaths after December 31, 2019. What’s the bottom line? The Joint Committee on Taxation expects that these changes, if they become law, will yield $15.7 billion—with a “B”—in additional tax revenue through 2029.

The government would eventually get this money anyway, but this speeds things up considerably.

Let’s compare and contrast. An 80-year old woman has a traditional IRA worth $1 million. She dies and her 55-year-old daughter is the primary beneficiary. Under the current rules, the daughter’s first RMD is roughly $35,000. If the 25-year-old granddaughter was the beneficiary, the RMD would be roughly $18,000.

If the account earns an average of 5% annually, under the current rule, the granddaughter would have distributions of some $220,000 over ten years. If she had ten years to take the money out, she’d have about $1.3 million in distribution. Under the current rule, the account would have a $1.3 million balance after ten years, since the principal would continue to appreciate. Under the proposed rules, after ten years, it would be zeroed out.

The forced larger distributions will push heirs into higher income tax brackets. That will be followed by increased Medicare premiums, as heirs retire with higher income. Add to that: higher capital gains rate, from as low as zero to as high as 20%. If that’s not bad enough, it could also trigger the 3.8% net Investment Income tax.

One option is to move funds from a regular IRA to a Roth IRA, assuming the investor meets all the requirements to do so. The Roth IRA distributions would not be taxable (unless those laws change) but that also requires the current owner to pay taxes on funds moved to the Roth IRA.

Another option is to consider a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) that names a charity as the IRA beneficiary. Upon the death of the owner, the IRA is distributed to the CRT, and the IRA owner’s heir would receive a fixed percentage of the CRT’s value for the remainder of their lives. When the heir dies, the money in the CRT goes to a charity or charities designated by the IRA owner, when the trust was created.

For now, these are proposed pieces of legislation, but chances are good they will be passed soon. Now is a good time to meet with your estate planning attorney to do what you can to protect your IRA and your children’s inheritance.

Reference: nj.com (June 10, 2019) “Your kid’s inheritance could take a giant tax hit if these bills become law. Thanks, Congress”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

What Debts Must Be Paid Before and After Probate? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Everything that must be addressed in settling an estate becomes more complicated when there is no will and no estate planning has taken place before the person dies. Debts are a particular area of concern for the estate and the executor. What has to be paid and who gets paid first? These are explained in the article “Dealing with Debts and Mortgages in Probate” from The Balance.

Probate is the process of gaining court approval of the estate and paying off final bills and expenses before property can be transferred to beneficiaries. Dealing with the debts of a deceased person can be started before probate officially begins.

Start by making a list of all of the decedent’s liabilities and look for the following bills or statements:

  • Mortgages
  • Reverse mortgages
  • Home equity loans
  • Lines of credit
  • Condo fees
  • Property taxes
  • Federal and state income taxes
  • Car and boat loans
  • Personal loans
  • Loans against life insurance policies
  • Loans against retirement accounts
  • Credit card bills
  • Utility bills
  • Cell phone bills

Next, divide those items into two categories: those that will be ongoing during probate—consider them administrative expenses—and those that can be paid off after the probate estate is opened. These are considered “final bills.” Administrative bills include things like mortgages, condo fees, property taxes and utility bills. They must be kept current. Final bills include income taxes, personal loans, credit card bills, cell phone bills and loans against retirement accounts and/or life insurance policies.

The executors and heirs should not pay any bills out of their own pockets. The executor deals with all of these liabilities in the process of settling the estate.

For some of the liabilities, heirs may have a decision to make about whether to keep the assets with loans. If the beneficiary wants to keep the house or a car, they may, but they have to keep paying down the debt. Otherwise, these payments should be made only by the estate.

The executor decides what bills to pay and which assets should be liquidated to pay final bills.

A far better plan for your beneficiaries is to create a comprehensive estate plan that includes a will that details how you want your assets distributed and addresses what your wishes are. If you want to leave a house to a loved one, your estate planning attorney will be able to explain how to make that happen while minimizing taxes on your estate.

Reference: The Balance (March 21, 2019) “Dealing with Debts and Mortgages in Probate”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Business Owners Need Estate Plan and a Succession Plan – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Business owners get so caught up in working in their business, that they don’t take the time to consider their future—and that of the business—when sometime in the future they’ll want to retire. Many business owners insist they’ll never retire, but that time does eventually come. The question The Gardner News article asks of business owners is this:

“Do you have a business succession strategy?”

It takes a very long time to create a succession plan that works. Therefore, planning for such a plan should begin long before retirement is on the horizon. That’s because there are as many different ways to map out a succession plan as there are types of business. A business owner could sell the business to a family member, an outsider, a key employee or to all the employees. The plan could be implemented while the business owner is still alive and well and working, or it could be set up to take effect only after the owner passes.

The decision of how to handle a succession plan needs to be made with a number of issues in mind: family dynamics and interest in the business (or lack of interest), the nature of the business, the success of the business and the owner’s overall financial situation.

Here are a few of the more popular strategies:

Selling the business outright. There are business owners who don’t need the money and feel that no one else will care as much as they do about their business. Therefore, they sell it. There needs to be a lot of planning to minimize tax liability when this is the choice.

Using a buy-sell arrangement to transfer the business. This can be structured in whatever way works best for both parties. It allows a slower transition to new ownership. Some families use the proceeds of a life insurance policy to fund the buy-sell agreement so surviving owners could use the death benefit to buy the deceased owner’s stake.

Buying a private annuity. This permits the owner to transfer the business to family members or someone else, who then makes payments to the owner for the rest of their life, or maybe their life and another person’s life, like a surviving spouse. It has the potential to provide a lifetime stream of income and removes assets from the owner’s estate without triggering gift or estate taxes.

The plan for succession needs to align with the business owner’s estate plan. This is something that many estate planning attorneys who work with business owners have experience with. They can help facilitate the succession planning process. Talk with your estate planning attorney when you have your regular meeting to review your estate plan about what the future holds for your business.

Reference: The Gardener News (June 4, 2019) “Do you have a business succession strategy?”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Retirement Minimum Distribution (RMDs) Fundamentals – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Most people don’t know the rules about required minimum distributions. Also known as “RMDs,” these are the rules that require investors to make withdrawals from their retirement accounts the year that they turn 70½. However, says Forbes in the article “5 Things to Know About RMDs,” these withdrawals can have a major impact on cash flow, taxes and financial planning during retirement. They are legally required to be taken, even if you don’t need them.

If the RMD is not taken at the correct age, there will be a 50% tax on the amount that should have been withdrawn. Add to that the amount of regular income tax on the sum of money withdrawn, and you have an expensive mistake.

There are ways to soften the impact of RMDs. However, you have to know the rules before you can create your strategy. Having a game plan for RMDs will help save the money you saved for many years, and allow that retirement nest egg more time to grow.

Note that there may be some changes coming as a result of the SECURE Act and the RESA Act, if approved.

Distribution rules that you need to know. The year you mark your 70½ birthday, that is, six months after you turn 70, you have to start taking RMDs from retirement accounts, including 401(k)s. That rule does not apply to Roth IRAs, which generally do not have any RMDs, until the owner dies.

The exception is if you are still working at a company and participating in the company’s 401(k) plan. If that is the case, you may want to roll over all your previous eligible savings into that account, to delay taking an RMD. However, there are also exceptions to this rule. They depend on your ownership stake in the company, so speak with an estate planning attorney to be sure what the requirements are for your situation.

While you’re at it, make sure that the beneficiaries listed on your accounts are correctly documented. If it’s been more than a few years since you last reviewed your beneficiaries, there may be some time bombs hidden in your IRA accounts. Divorce, death and changes of circumstances may make it necessary for you to change your beneficiaries. Do it now, while it’s on your mind. Once you die, there’s no recourse for your heirs.

When do I take my first RMD? RMDs must be taken by December 31st of each calendar year. However, the first RMD must be taken for the year in which you turn 70½. You can delay that payment until April of the following year. If you end up taking two big distributions, will it throw your tax planning off? Will you be bumped into a higher tax bracket? This is why you need to plan your RMD out carefully. It may be better for your overall situation to take the RMD, as soon as you are eligible.

Accuracy counts. You can’t rely on an online calculator, since the rules are not one size fits all. Let’s say your spouse is ten years younger than you and is your sole beneficiary. You’ll need to use the Joint Life and Last Survivor Table. There’s also the Uniform Lifetime Table, but that doesn’t apply here. Check with professionals to be sure you are taking the right amount.

Where does your RMD come from? Even if 70½ is a few years away, it’s good to have a plan for how RMDs will impact the distribution of your investment portfolio. You have options, so you want to make a good choice. For example, do you want distributions to be made in proportion to the percentage of each of your holdings in your portfolio? Let’s say 40% of your retirement investment is in short-term bonds, then you would take out 40% from your investment holdings. Or do you want to take a percentage from specific holdings?

What about charitable giving? Once you turn 70 ½, you can directly transfer funds from a traditional IRA to a charity, which can reduce your tax burden. However, this must be done properly, directly to the charity.

The rules of RMD are complicated, and mistakes can be expensive. Think about your strategy early on, to make sure it’s done right.

Reference: Forbes (May 14, 2019) “5 Things to Know About RMDs”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

What’s the Difference Between Capital Gains and a Dividend? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Investopedia published an article that asks “Capital Gains vs. Dividend Income: What’s the Difference?” The article looks at the differences between capital gains and dividend income, and their tax implications.

Capital is the initial sum invested. A capital gain is a profit you get when an investment is sold for a higher price than the original purchase price. An investor doesn’t realize a capital gain until an investment is sold for a profit.

On the other hand, dividends are assets paid out of the profits of a corporation to the stockholders. The dividends an investor receives aren’t capital gains. This is treated as income for that tax year.

A capital gain is the increase in the value of a capital asset—either an investment or real estate—that gives it a higher value than the purchase price. A capital loss happens when there’s a decrease in the capital asset value as compared to the asset’s purchase price. There is no capital loss until the asset is sold at a discount.

A dividend is a “reward” or “bonus” that’s given to shareholders who’ve invested in a company’s equity. It is usually from the company’s net profits. Most profits are kept within the company as retained earnings, representing money to be used for ongoing and future business activities. However, the rest is often disbursed to shareholders as a dividend.

Taxes. Capital gains and dividends are taxed differently. Dividends are going to be either ordinary or qualified and taxed accordingly. However, capital gains are taxed based on whether they are seen as short-term or long-term holdings. A capital gain is deemed short-term if the asset that was sold after being held for less than a year. Short-term capital gains are taxed as ordinary income for the year. Assets held for more than a year before being sold are considered long-term capital gains upon sale. The tax is on the net capital gains for the year. Net capital gains are calculated by subtracting capital losses from capital gains for the year. For many, the tax rate for capital gains will be less than 15%.

Dividends are usually paid as cash. However, they can also be in the form of property or stock. Dividends can be ordinary or qualified. Ordinary dividends are taxable and must be declared as income, but qualified dividends are taxed at a lower capital gains rate. When a corporation returns capital to a shareholder, it’s not considered a dividend. It reduces the shareholder’s stock in the company. When a stock basis is reduced to zero through the return of capital, any non-dividend distribution is considered capital gains and will be taxed as such.

Reference: Investopedia (April 11, 2019) “Capital Gains vs. Dividend Income: What’s the Difference?”

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What Should I Look for in a Trustee? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Selecting a trustee to manage your estate after you pass away is an important decision. Depending on the type of trust you’re creating, the trustee will be in charge of overseeing your assets and the assets of your family. It’s common for people to choose either a friend or family member, a professional trustee or a trust company or corporate trustee for this critical role.

Forbes’s recent article, “How To Choose A Trustee,” helps you identify what you should look for in a trustee.

If you go with a family member or friend, she should be financially savvy and good with money. You want someone who is knows something about investing, and preferably someone who has assets of their own that they are investing with an investment advisor.

A good thing about selecting a friend or family member as trustee, is that they’re going to be most familiar with you and your family. They will also understand your family’s dynamics.  Family members also usually don’t charge a trustee fee (although they are entitled to do so).

However, your family may be better off with a professional trustee or trust company that has expertise with trust administration. This may eliminate some potentially hard feelings in the family. Another negative is that your family member may be too close to the family and may get caught up in the drama.  They may also have a power trip and like having total control of your beneficiary’s finances.

The advantage of an attorney serving as a trustee is that they have familiarity with your family if you’ve worked together for some time. There will, however, be a charge for their time spent serving as trustee.

Trust companies will have more structure and oversight to the trust administration, including a trust department that oversees the administration. This will be more expensive, but it may be money well spent. A trust company can make the tough decisions and tell beneficiaries “no” when needed. It’s common to use a trust company, when the beneficiaries don’t get along, when there is a problem beneficiary or when it’s a large sum of money. A drawback is that a trust company may be difficult to remove or become inflexible. They also may be stingy about distributions, if it will reduce the assets under management that they’re investing. You can solve this by giving a neutral third party, like a trusted family member, the ability to remove and replace the trustee.

Talk to your estate planning attorney and go through your concerns to find a solution that works for you and your family.

Reference: Forbes (May 31, 2019) “How To Choose A Trustee”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys 

What’s the Latest on “Blue Water” Navy Veterans’ Benefits? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

The Justice Department told the U.S. Supreme Court that it will not challenge a landmark lower court ruling that “blue water” Navy veterans, who served during the Vietnam War, are covered by the federal Agent Orange Act.

According to The National Law Journal’s recent article, “Justice Department Will Not Challenge Benefits for Blue Water Navy Vets,” the decision by U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco ended months of uncertainty for tens of thousands of former service members or their survivors who may now be eligible for benefits for their exposure to Agent Orange.

In January, these blue water Navy veterans, who served on ships within the 12-mile territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam, won their case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The court held that the Agent Orange Act of 1991 includes those veterans. Until that ruling, these vets had been denied the presumption of Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War.

The Justice Department, in upholding the Department of Veterans Affairs’ interpretation, argued that the Agent Orange Act covered only those veterans who served on the ground or inland waterways of Vietnam.

The Federal Circuit rejected the Justice Department’s request to put its decision on hold while the government decided whether to appeal to the Supreme Court. Ever since, the Solicitor General has asked for several extensions from the Supreme Court as he decided whether to appeal. A decision to appeal the Federal Circuit ruling would have brought out the Trump administration in a fight with Vietnam veterans and the head of the Veterans Administration.

The Solicitor General, consulting with federal agencies, generally makes decisions on government appeals to the Supreme Court.

Francisco’s decision not to appeal was announced in a motion to dismiss in another case in the U.S. Supreme Court—Gray v. Wilkie. That action also involved a blue water Navy veteran. The Supreme Court had scheduled February arguments in the Gray case but removed it from the docket at the request of the Solicitor General, who said this recent decision, if not appealed, would also give the relief sought by Gray.

Reference: The National Law Journal (June 5, 2019) “Justice Department Will Not Challenge Benefits for Blue Water Navy Vets”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys