We are often asked, “What is an estate plan?” An estate plan can mean different things depending on your unique personal and financial situation. We structure your estate plan based on many things, such as whether you are single, married, or divorced; whom you want your estate to pass to upon your death; and the complexity and makeup of your assets. Some individuals may need more estate planning, some may need less.
Here is a list of the typical
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An irrevocable income-only trust can be an indispensable tool when planning for retirement and long-term care expenses. It’s important to know how these trusts work, how they help you qualify for Medicaid, and how to set one up.
What Are Irrevocable Income-Only Trusts?
Irrevocable income-only trusts are used for Medicaid planning. They are a type of living trust that protects assets from being sold to cover long-term care expenses such as nursing homes. These assets are placed in a
Continue Reading Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: Irrevocable Income-Only Trusts, How They Can Help You Apply for Medicaid and When they Should be Avoided.
The filing deadline to submit 2021 tax returns or an extension to file and pay tax owed is Monday, April 18, 2022. By law, Washington, D.C., holidays impact tax deadlines for everyone in the same way federal holidays do. The due date is April 18, instead of April 15, because of the Emancipation Day holiday in the District of Columbia for everyone except taxpayers who live in Maine or Massachusetts. Taxpayers in Maine or Massachusetts have until April 19,
Continue Reading Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: Reminder—April 18 is the Deadline for Individual Returns and More
In our last article, we reviewed why creating a buy-sell agreement can protect the owners of a company and help guide the process of a business succession plan. In this post, we will review how to create an exit strategy and minimize conflict when it comes time to begin to transfer the business.
PART 2 – SETTING IN PLACE AN EXIT STRATEGY WHEN THE TIME COMES AND MINIMIZING THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICT
Whether it’s in personal relationships or business,
Continue Reading Transferring a Business: Exit Strategy and Minimizing Conflict
Long before a closely-held business is readied for sale, it should be protected by the owners creating a buy-sell agreement. In short, every co-owned business needs a buy-sell, or buy-out agreement the moment the business is formed or as soon after that as possible. A buy-sell, sometimes called a buy-out agreement, protects business owners when a co-owner wants to leave the company (and protects the owner who is leaving). It also contemplates dealing with unforeseeable catastrophic events, such as
Continue Reading An Educational Business Series for Success: Why Buy-Sell Agreements Are Necessary Even If You Don’t Plan to Sell Your Company Soon
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has signed Senate Bill 254, which affects building permit holders and late property tax payments. The bill, which Evers signed on Friday, October 15, 2021, and is now known as 2021 Wisconsin Act 80, allows municipalities and other taxation districts to waive interest and penalties on late 2021 property tax payments. It also adds a timely payment requirement for filing certain property tax claims if payment was submitted by October 1, 2021. The Act
Continue Reading Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: Wisconsin to Allow Municipalities to Waive Property Tax Penalties and Extend Construction and Building Permits
Perhaps a friend or loved one has recently passed away and has named you as the trustee of their trust. You may be wondering, “What does it mean to be a trustee?”
Your job as “trustee” makes you responsible for carrying out the terms of the trust. In a nutshell, think of this job as stepping into the grantor’s shoes and making the same decisions he or she would have if they were alive. The grantor likely chose you to
Continue Reading Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: What Should You Do If You Are Named Trustee?
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has issued a reminder to taxpayers who pay estimated taxes that they have until June 15 to pay their estimated tax payment for the second quarter of tax year 2021 without incurring a penalty.
Estimated tax is the method used to pay tax on income that isn’t subject to withholding, including income from self-employment, interest, dividends, rent, gains from the sale of assets, prizes, and awards. Taxpayers may also have to pay estimated tax
Continue Reading Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: Reminder–Deadline For Q2 Estimated Tax Payments Is June 15
The IRS extended the deadline for individual taxpayers to file and pay taxes to May 17, 2021 in Notice 2021-21. However, Monday, May 17 is the deadline for more than just individual returns. Here is a list of some other May 17 deadline items that IRS has noted:
Businesses can now claim a 100% deduction on restaurant meals through the end of 2022, the IRS announced. The IRS released guidance today, April 8, which temporarily allows businesses a full deduction for food and beverages purchased from restaurants, starting after December 31, 2020 and before January 1, 2023. Importantly, the full deduction only applies to food purchased from take-out and dine-in restaurants. The deduction does not apply to pre-packaged food or groceries. Additionally, food from third-party facilities operated
Continue Reading Breaking–IRS Says Restaurant Entertainment Expenses Fully Deductible
The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) announced late yesterday that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year will be automatically extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021. The IRS will be providing formal guidance in the coming days.
The postponement applies to individual taxpayers, including individuals who pay self-employment tax. However, the postponement does not apply to estimated tax payments that are due on April 15, 2021. These payments are still
Continue Reading IRS Officially Delays Tax Deadline to May 17
The Internal Revenue Service is planning to delay the April 15 tax filing deadline as it grapples with a massive backlog of 24 million returns it has yet to process since the 2019 tax year. The agency is considering setting the filing deadline for either May 15 or May 17, but a decision has not been finalized. May 15 is a Saturday and the IRS typically delays filing deadlines that fall on a weekend or holiday to the next
Continue Reading IRS to Delay Tax Deadline to Mid-May
You will experience various changes in circumstances during your life. Some of these changes will warrant updates to your estate planning documents. Indeed, estate planning is often a lifetime process of implementing the proper legal arrangements in the event of your incapacity and upon your death.
Consider updating your estate plan upon any of the following events:
Tax Law Changes
What might have been a proper estate plan under the tax laws that existed at the time you created
Continue Reading When Should You Update Your Estate Plan?
A little less than a month ago, the IRS reversed its original position, and stated that businesses can deduct expenses paid for with the proceeds of a forgiven Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, as further detailed here. However, in guidance issued on Friday, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue clarified that expenses that are paid with the forgivable PPP funds (in the first round) are not deductible for Wisconsin income/franchise tax purposes and must be added back to Wisconsin
Continue Reading Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: Wisconsin Department of Revenue Says Expenses Paid with First Round Forgiven PPP Loans are Not Deductible
Businesses can now deduct expenses paid for with the proceeds of a forgiven Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The IRS, in Revenue Ruling 2021-2 issued today, reversed its original position that prohibited businesses with PPP loans from “double-dipping” by paying expenses with a forgivable loan, then writing off those expenses. Congress, in the latest COVID-19 relief bill, as we explained further here, explicitly stated that such expenses were deductible, forcing the IRS to reverse course.
This ruling is
Continue Reading Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: Breaking News–IRS Says Expenses Paid with Forgiven PPP Loans are Deductible
Late Monday, Congress passed a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill that includes a provision that allows business owners to claim tax deductions for expenses covered by Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan proceeds. The bill goes to President Donald Trump today, who is expected to sign it into law.
Among other tax provisions, the bill specifies that business expenses paid with forgiven PPP loans are tax-deductible. This supersedes IRS guidance (as we previously discussed here) that such expenses could
Continue Reading Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: New Covid Relief Bill Says Expenses Paid with Forgiven PPP Loans are Deductible