Did you know that interest-free loans of money to your friends and family can be considered a taxable gift for federal gift tax purposes? This article will help you understand the circumstances under which such gift treatment might occur. In… Read More

Are you considering making gifts to loved ones or charities? Before you pull out cash to make a gift, consider gifting other assets such as stock and real estate or holding onto those assets and bequeathing them through your estate…. Read More

Living in beautiful San Diego, it should not come as a surprise that there are homes in neighborhoods like Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe that are valued anywhere from $1 million to upwards of $20 million. If you own… Read More

With the increase to the standard deduction under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, it is more important than ever to carefully plan out your charitable giving to maximize the deduction on your tax return. Charitable trusts provide a way… Read More

Tax reform made to sweeping changes to the tax code.  The notable change to gift and estate tax is the doubling of the lifetime gift tax exemption from $5 million to $10 million, adjusted for inflation.  This increased lifetime exemption… Read More

Do not let the word portability scare you.  It is simply the act of transferring a decedent’s unused gift and estate tax exemption to the surviving spouse.  Since the exemption has doubled under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, married… Read More

Have you received a recent gift from a foreign person? While the reporting threshold is high if the gift is from foreign estates or nonresident aliens, if the gift is from a foreign partnership or foreign corporation, the threshold is… Read More

Do you have plans to start a new business, have multiple business ventures, or simply wish to establish a solid financial foundation for yourself and your family? If so, you might have already considered setting up a trust to protect… Read More

Most of us dread the chore of creating new online accounts, but we all have dozens.  We bank and shop online, pay our mortgages, water, and credit cards online, use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  The list goes on and on… Read More

When administering the assets of a deceased family member’s estate, the county-level property tax reassessment rules for transfers of California real estate are often ignored. In general, when the transfer of property occurs, the taxable value on which the property… Read More