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It's best not to wait until the last minute to take steps that can preserve or enhance your assets. Before the New Year arrives, consider the 10 tax-savvy tips that can benefit and protect your wealth, investment, and liquidity plans.

As the nation continues to battle the devastating effects of COVID-19, a number of family offices have taken a greater interest in reviewing or creating various wealth succession plans, with tax and estate planning a top issue and consideration in the U.S. election. In preparation for the outcome, family offices and the families they serve should consider five action items.

While strong economic times may make the idea of the need for tax-efficient wealth transfers obvious, uncertain economic circumstances can present opportunities to not only re-evaluate existing planning, but also to implement additional, alternative planning that in the long run could provide significant estate, gift, and income tax benefits.

As the clock winds down on the U.S. election, many investors are interested in how a Biden administration would impact their taxes—particularly whether it’s more beneficial to realize gains today (pay now) or continue to defer gains into the future (pay later). It’s a big tax management decision for investors and advisors. We take a look at the implications of each choice.

Nearing the end of the year is an important time to consider any tax planning opportunities that may be available to you before ringing in the new year.

As family offices evaluate their assets during the economic downturn, examining deductions and estate and trust planning can help form better strategies and objectives. In this Q&A discussion, learn how the valuation of distressed assets and investments can maximize your tax deductions through these challenging times.

It’s time to consider year-end planning for a year that has been an unusual one, with taxpayers experiencing losses due to the economic downturn and the possibility of higher income tax rates next year. Consequently, it’s time to rethink the traditional year-end advice of deferring income and accelerating deductions to minimize one’s total tax liability over the years.

For high-net-worth individuals, establishing an incomplete non-grantor (ING) trust is a useful planning tool that provides income tax benefits to grantors residing in states with high state income tax rates or states that do not recognize the federal grantor trust rules. There are several steps to properly structure an ING trust, and it begins with the state selection.

New tax legislation is most likely to happen if next year the Democratic Party controls the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the White House. Now is the time to develop a contingency plan that can be implemented depending on the outcome of the U.S. election. Planning strategies that can be customized to the needs of each family are available, including taxable gifts, pre-fund life insurance trusts, spousal access trusts, intra-family loan, dynasty trusts, and GRAT planning.

Planning for future generations is the greatest gift family businesses can give, particularly during times of uncertainty. Transferring assets while they have a low value is a technique that is used to lock-in or freeze those low values in anticipation the asset will one day significantly increase in value. There are estate tax planning techniques that can be implemented which transfer the greatest amount of value from an estate while using the least amount of exemption.