Amazingly, it appears that most people who have given away real estate to family members in recent years have not filed a gift tax return with the IRS. The IRS requires a gift tax return to be filed any time a person makes a gift to someone other than a spouse of more than the annual exemption amount (which is currently $13,000). So if a person gives a piece of real estate to a child, or

Leaving an IRA to your children or grandchildren can be a great idea. That’s because withdrawals from the IRA can be “stretched out” over many years, and the IRA can grow tax-free for decades, giving your heirs a huge tax benefit. However, if you’re planning to leave an IRA to your heirs, it’s important to talk with them now about this strategy – so they understand how to take advantage of it. A recent study by

There’s a limit on how much money you can give away each year without paying gift tax. For 2012, for instance, you can give any person up to $13,000 without paying tax. Many people make annual gifts to family members as part of their estate planning. This is a smart idea, but one problem is that over time it can result in unequal gifts to different parts of a family. For instance, Edna has three children:

Many people who seek estate planning advice are owners of family businesses, and one of their chief concerns is how to pass on the business to the next generation. The fact is, there are almost as many ways to transfer a family business as there are family businesses. There’s no way to know what’s best for you without a thorough discussion of your goals, your family, and your complete financial picture. However, there’s no question that