Los Angeles and Santa Clarita Estate Planning, Living Trusts, and Probate Attorney Robert Mansour

Estate Tax Planning

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Estate taxes are imposed upon estates that have a certain net value. This number changes every year and is subject to revision by Congress. Basically, if you have more "stuff" than the government thinks is "enough," your estate may be liable to pay significant taxes.

For estates that approach or exceed these amounts, significant estate taxes can be saved by proper estate planning, usually before your death or, for couples, before one of you dies. In some cases, estate taxes can be eliminated through proper planning.

Keep in mind that tax laws often change. And estate planning for tax purposes must take into account not only estate taxes, but also income, capital gains, gift taxes, property taxes, and generation-skipping taxes as well.

Qualified legal advice about taxes and current tax law should be obtained from a competent lawyer during the estate planning process. In some cases, consultation with a CPA can also be very helpful when doing such planning.