Some things to consider doing before ending an estate administration: Check with the Life Policy Locator Service provided by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to see if there are any policies insuring the decedent that were overlooked or not known...
Category Archives: Tips
The executor or administrator of a decedent’s estate is required to file the estate tax return for the estate (I.R.C. § 6018(a)) and is liable for the resulting tax (I.R.C. § 2002), and is required to file the decedent’s income...
IRC section 645 allows an election to treat a revocable trust as part of the estate of the settlor for income tax purposes, which allows revocable trusts to file income tax returns as estates following the death of the settlor...
On January 6, 2017, the Supreme Court adopted a new public access policy (“the Policy”) for records of appellate and trial courts in Pennsylvania, which became effective January 6, 2018. The Policy applies to filings in the Orphans’ Courts of...
This is an updated list of software that was originally published as an appendix to my book Wills, Trusts, and Technology, published by the American Bar Association and now in its second edition. In addition to updating names, publishers, and … Continue reading
The Pennsylvania personal income tax treats “income in respect of a decedent” (often referred to as “IRD”) in a way that is completely different from the federal income tax treatment of IRD, and practitioners dealing with estates of Pennsylvania decedents … Continue reading
The forms in use in a firm should be easy to edit, and it should be easy to copy and paste language from one document to another, so lawyers responsible for creating or maintaining will and trust (and other estate … Continue reading
It is clear that the execution of a power of attorney requires at least two disinterested witnesses and either a notary or a lawyer to take the acknowledgements in the place of a notary, as allowed by 42 Pa.C.S. §...
There are several circumstances under which notice must be given to the Attorney General of Pennsylvania: When a will has been probated that includes gifts to charities of more than $25,000, or which will not be be paid in full,...
The IRS web page with frequently asked questions on estate taxes now states that, effective Jun 1, 2015, estate tax closing letters will be issued only upon request, and requests should be made at least four months after the return...