One of the challenges facing owners of closely held businesses is how to preserve their business legacy in the event of their death. The federal estate tax, which applies to estates exceeding $13.61 million in 2024, can pose a significant financial burden on the heirs of business owners, especially if the estate (i.e., the taxpayer)
Who should I nominate as the Executor of my Will? Who should be the Trustee of my Trust? Should the Executor and Trustee be the same person? Should I nominate my children? Can I name multiple people in these roles? What if I don’t have anyone appropriate to name?
These are questions that every estate
We are pleased to launch our speaker series, a break from the traditional podcast format, with our premier episode featuring Partner Vanessa Maczko who will detail where we are now with taxes and gifting, and where we are going. She discusses what is not a taxable gift and how to use your estate and gift
“I notice that your account does not have a beneficiary listed, would you like to list one now? Listing a beneficiary can avoid the expense and delay of probate.”
This is a question more and more of our clients are being asked (and encouraged to prepare) by representatives at financial institutions. However, for many of our
On this episode, Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear continue their conversation with Wiggin and Dana Partner Jack Sousa, on entrepreneurship, equity, and entity structuring. They dive deep into the entrepreneur’s guide to equity, employee stock options, and the strategic importance of early legal advice, with particularly valuable insights on estate planning synergy and
In a previous Wiggin and Dana LLP advisory, we addressed what constitutes a “foreign trust” under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).[1] We now explore the tax consequences of a foreign trust, as well as the differences between a foreign grantor trust and a foreign non-grantor trust.
There are many benefits of having
In the latest podcast episode, host Michael Clear introduces the “Future Focused: Private Wealth Insights” blog, a platform designed to help optimize and protect your financial future. Explore domestic and international estate planning strategies, tax optimization, and more, with regularly updated content to keep you informed about the latest trends and developments. Visit www.privatewealthinsights.com to
In what undoubtedly is welcome news to trustees of Connecticut irrevocable trusts, effective January 1, 2025, Connecticut will join the growing list of states that specifically authorize “decanting” the assets of an otherwise irrevocable trust into a new trust with improved terms. While most Connecticut practitioners believe that decanting has always been available under Connecticut
Discover the intersection between founding ventures and estate planning on today’s episode of Future Focused. Wiggin and Dana Partner Jack Sousa, a founder of wiggin(x) and co-chair of our Emerging Company and Venture Capital Group sits down with Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear and offers invaluable insights into the client experience on Wiggin(x)
Like individuals, trusts are subject to income tax by the federal government and a majority of states. If a trust is characterized as a “grantor” trust, then its income is reported by the grantor thereof, who is usually the trust creator, and taxed as if earned by the grantor individually. If the trust is characterized