Taxation-Federal Estate and Gift Commons^™

Of Piketty And Perpetuities: Dynastic Wealth In The Twenty-First Century (And Beyond), Eric Kades

Boston College Law Review

For the first time since independence, in a nation founded in large part on the rejection of a fixed nobility determined by birth and perpetuated by inheritance, America is paving the way for the creation of dynastic family wealth. Abolition of the Rule Against Perpetuities in over half the states along with sharp reductions in, and likely elimination of, the federal estate tax mean that there soon will be no obstacles to creating large pools of dynastic wealth insuring lavish incomes to heirs for generations without end. The timing of these legal changes could hardly be worse. Marshaling innovative economic ...

The Contemporary Tax Journal Volume 7, No. 2 – Summer 2018

The Contemporary Tax Journal

No abstract provided.

Front Matter (Letter From The Editor, Masthead, Etc.)

The Contemporary Tax Journal

No abstract provided.

Higher Education Savings And Planning: Tax And Nontax Considerations, F. Philip Manns Jr., Timothy M. Todd

Texas A&M Law Review

Funding higher education is among the critical financial decisions made by individuals and families. There are myriad options. Yet, the conventional wisdom—namely using Section 529 Plans—may not be the optimal vehicle to effectuate this goal. Therefore, this Article discusses various strategies to plan, save, and pay for higher education. It compares various savings methods including gifts, UTMA accounts, Section 529 Plans, trusts, and other vehicles. The analysis explores both tax and non-tax considerations, including the effect of different strategies on financial aid, transaction costs, investor control, income taxes, gift and estate taxes, flexibility, and creditor protection. This Article ...

Improving Tax Rules By Means-Testing: Bridging Wealth Inequality And “Ability To Pay”, James M. Puckett

Oklahoma Law Review

No abstract provided.

Improving Tax Rules By Means-Testing: Bridging Wealth Inequality And "Ability To Pay", James M. Puckett

Journal Articles

The federal income tax can and should do more to address wealth disparities and income inequality. The income tax does not directly count wealth, and the realization rule and basis "step-up" at death exclude substantial amounts of income for the wealthy. The Constitution limits Congress's ability to tax wealth. Despite these serious challenges, this Article considers how to potentially bridge the gap between wealth and the income tax. For example, asset-based phase-outs in the income tax should pass muster without apportionment, although their bite would necessarily be limited. The Article posits that the public would be more receptive to ...

The Centennial Of The Estate And Gift Tax: Perspectives And Recommendations, Panel 1, James R. Repetti, Jennifer Bird-Pollan, Paul L. Caron, David Joulfaian

Jennifer Bird-Pollan

Welcome and Introductory Remarks James Repetti, William J. Kenealy, S.J. Professor, Boston College Law School Panel 1: Whether it is desirable to tax the gratuitous transfer of wealth during life or at death Participants: Jennifer Bird-Pollan (University of Kentucky College of Law) Paul Caron (Pepperdine University School of Law) Dr. David Joulfaian (U.S. Department of the Treasury) Commentator and Moderator:James Repetti (Boston College Law School)

Please Don’T Make Me Pay Taxes: How New Irs Law Helps Art Collectors Avoid Hefty Taxes, Stephanie Dunn

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

No abstract provided.

Tax-Deductible Conservation Easements And The Essential Perpetuity Requirements, Nancy Mclaughlin

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

Property owners who make charitable gifts of perpetual conservation easements are eligible to claim federal charitable income tax deductions. Through this tax-incentive program the public is investing billions of dollars in easements encumbering millions of acres nationwide. In response to reports of abuse in the early 2000s, the Internal Revenue Service (Service) began auditing and litigating questionable easement donation transactions, and the resulting case law reveals significant failures to comply with the deduction’s requirements. Recently, the Service has come under fire for enforcing the deduction’s “perpetuity” requirements, which are intended to ensure that the easements will protect the ...

Front Matter (Letter From The Editor, Masthead, Etc.)

The Contemporary Tax Journal

No abstract provided.

Tomorrow's Inheritance: The Frontiers Of Estate Planning Formalism, David Horton

Boston College Law Review

The rules that govern the creation of an estate plan are in flux. Courts once demanded strict adherence to the Wills Act. Yet, this legacy of hyper-vigilance is waning, as the Uniform Probate Code, the Restatement (Third) of Property, and ten states have adopted the harmless error rule. Meanwhile, trusts, which need not comply with the Wills Act, have eclipsed wills as the dominant method of posthumous wealth transmission. This Article explores three budding topics that threaten to further complicate this area. First, there are anecdotal accounts of decedents trying to make electronic wills. In both strict compliance and harmless ...

Estate Of Holliday: "Flping" The Script, Phyllis C. Taite

Journal Publications

In this article, Taite examines Estate of Holliday, in which the Tax Court held that the full value of property transferred to a family limited partnership was properly includable in the decedent’s estate because the decedent had a retained right in the property and no significant nontax reasons for making the transfer.

Estate Of Purdue: A Blueprint For Flping, Phyllis C. Taite

Journal Publications

In this article, Taite examines Estate of Purdue, in which the Tax Court held that assets of the decedent that were transferred to the family limited liability company were not includable in the gross estate, that transfers to the family trust qualified for an annual exclusion, and that the estate could deduct interest on loans from the estate’s beneficiaries.

Privacy In Taxation, Michael Hatfield

Florida State University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Kaplow And Shavell And The Priority Of Income Taxation And Transfer, David H. Blankfein-Tabachnick, Kevin A. Kordana

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

In States We "Trust": Self-Settled Trusts, Public Policy, And Interstate Federalism, Brendan Duffy

Northwestern University Law Review

Over the last twenty years, domestic asset protection trusts have risen in popularity as a means of estate planning and asset protection. A domestic asset protection trust is an irrevocable trust formed under state law which enables an independent trustee to allocate money to a class of

persons, which includes the settlor.

Since Alaska first enacted domestic asset protection legislation in 1997, fifteen states have followed its lead. The case law over the last twenty years addressing these trust mechanisms has, however, been surprisingly sparse. A Washington bankruptcy court decision, In re Huber, altered this drought, but caused more confusion ...

Saving The Farm Or Giving Away The Farm: A Critical Analysis Of The Capital Gains Tax Preferences, Phyllis C. Taite

San Diego Law Review

This Article addresses some of the inequities and offers a multi-faceted proposal to raise revenue and incentivize preferences for a more balanced approached to tax policy. First, I advance a proposal that offers solutions to shift certain aspects of the capital gains tax preferences toward the middle and lower class. To balance the costs, I then propose an option to phase out or eliminate other preferences that primarily benefit the wealthiest taxpayers. This balanced approach will allow the government to raise revenue and change the capital gains tax preferences from a rewards to an incentive-based system. Part II of this ...

Aligning The Stars- Estate Planning For Entrepreneurs In Interesting Times, Stefan F. Tucker, Tammara Langlieb

William & Mary Annual Tax Conference

No abstract provided.

2016 Trying Times: Important Lessons To Be Learned From Recent Federal Tax Cases, Nancy Mclaughlin

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

Since 2005, the courts have collectively issued more than 80 opinions involving challenges to deductions claimed under IRC § 170(h) with regard to conservation and facade easement donations. This outline provides a brief history of developments in the deduction context, discusses the practical implications of the recent court decisions, and offers advice on how to file a tax return package to minimize the risk of audit. It also briefly notes various other important issues, such as the IRS's focus on valuation and syndicated deals, quid pro quo, and reserved development rights.

The Contemporary Tax Journal Volume 6, No. 1 – Summer/Fall 2016

The Contemporary Tax Journal

No abstract provided.