Recent Publications - Tax


Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts: A Way to Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
February 1, 2024 | Trusts & Estates | Tax

You may have heard of Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATS) lately, especially if you have been thinking about using your federal estate and gift tax exemption before the current higher exemption amount of $13.61 million is automatically reduced to about $7 million on January 1, 2026, assuming Congress takes no action. (See my column from last

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Consider Making Large Gifts before the 2026 Exemption Reduction Kicks In
January 18, 2024 | Trusts & Estates | Tax

The current combined federal estate and gift tax exemption amount of $13.61 million per person ($27.22 million per married couple) is scheduled to “sunset” automatically on January 1, 2026, and revert to $5 million indexed for inflation (guesstimated at $7 million), unless Congress takes action. This exemption amount applies to the total taxable gifts made

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Don’t Give Your House to Your Children (While You’re Alive)
January 2, 2024 | Trusts & Estates | Tax

Many of us would like our children to inherit our home once we are gone. More than a few of us think it makes sense to give our home to our children while we are still living. That is not a good idea! Here’s why.

Loss of Step-Up in Basis

Gifting your home to someone

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In NYC, Cannabis Business Expenses Now Deductible
November 21, 2023 | Cannabis

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill on Friday, November 20, 2023, that allows New York City cannabis businesses to deduct business expenses paid or incurred in carrying on such business for purposes of determining their City income tax liabilities. The measure expands on legislation the governor signed in 2022 that allowed state-level cannabis

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Planning for the Interest Charge on Installment Sales: Decanting a Grantor Trust?
October 20, 2022 | Trusts & Estates | Tax

Louis Vlahos’ article, “Planning for the Interest Charge on Installment Sales: Decanting a Grantor Trust?”, was published in the New York State Bar Association Trusts and Estates Law Section Journal. Rivkin Radler member Nicholas G. Moneta is the publication’s Editor-in-Chief.

The article discusses the concept that the special interest charge imposed on the deferred tax

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Treasury Issues Final Rule on Disclosure of Beneficial Ownership
September 29, 2022 | Compliance, Investigations & White Collar | Tax

In an effort to help prevent and combat money laundering, terrorist financing, corruption, tax fraud, and other illicit activity, the United States Department of the Treasury just issued a final rule [RIN: 1506-AB49]. The rule requires certain businesses to file reports with FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) that identify two categories of individuals: the beneficial

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NJ Publishes Guidance on Cannabis Sales & Use Tax and Social Equity Excise Fee
September 19, 2022 | Tax | Cannabis

The New Jersey Division of Taxation recently provided guidance[1] on registration and licensing requirements, Social Equity Excise Fees, and the Sales & Use tax applicable to companies operating in the cannabis industry.[2]

The following provides important takeaways from the Division’s publication.

Registration & Licensing

To operate a cannabis business in New Jersey a company must

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Disposing of Assets Under The Ways and Means Committee’s Proposals
September 21, 2021 | Tax

First Step

Last Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee approved that portion of the 2022 budget legislation with which it was tasked by the Congressional Budget resolution of August 24. The text of the bill prepared by the Committee – almost nine hundred pages long – was passed along party lines, except for one

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Tax Hikes, Effective Dates, and Selling a Business
September 13, 2021 | Tax

Living the Dream

“How was your weekend?” Thank you for asking. Awful.[i]

“Why?” you ask. (Humor me. Pretend you’re interested.) I’ll tell you.

One word, with 535 syllables: Congress.[ii]

When the reconciliation budget resolutions were passed by the Senate and then the House,[iii] the committees to which reconciliation instructions were given were also directed “to

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Tax Increases Are In Sight
September 7, 2021 | Tax

Summertime in Washington

On August 11, the Senate passed the $3.5 trillion budget resolution for the 2021-2022 fiscal year – S. Con. Res. 14, as amended – by a vote of 50 to 49, strictly along party lines, including Democratic Senators Manchin and Sinema who have repeatedly questioned the wisdom of such an expensive measure.

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