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Year-end provides a chance to review your tax situation to mitigate liabilities and leverage opportunities. Join FOX for a panel discussion on important items that US and Canadian taxpayers and their advisors should consider. This year, potential changes in tax laws, rising interest rates, and a challenging financial environment are all creating co...

The death of a loved one is a difficult and emotional time for a family. There is often additional stress if you are appointed as the executor of the will and trustee of your family’s trusts, especially if the deceased had been the sole manager of substantial family assets and wealth. For an untrained person, it can be a daunting role. For these re...

When done well, a trustee’s service can have a profoundly positive impact on a family; when done poorly, a trustee’s service can create or exacerbate fissures within a family, dissipate family wealth, create personal liability for the trustee, and create a public spectacle that sullies the family’s good name and reputation. For key employees in fam...

Taking affirmative steps to move one’s property and connections out of their old home is critical to avoiding undesired consequences, such as dual domicile treatment or taxation by another state. This checklist identifies primary and secondary factors that should be considered when establishing domicile in a new state for income tax purposes.

Ultimately, how well your wealth transfer plan fulfills your legacy and meets the needs of the next—and future—generations depends on whom you name as your trustee(s). This makes your trustee selection one of the most critical aspects of an already complex wealth planning process. To help navigate this selection process, work with a framework built...

While the concept of estimated taxes is not overly complicated, there can be confusion around the actual tax payments and how it works. According to the IRS, “the U.S. tax system operates on a pay-as-you-go basis.” But what does that actually mean for American taxpayers? With the breakdown of the basics of estimated taxes, learn how it applies to a...

Serving as a trustee for your family can be a valuable experience for you, while also providing an important service to your family. But before you accept the position, make sure that you understand the role you will play for the family and are willing to accept the responsibilities and liability that come with it.

To effectively serve as a trustee, it's crucial to understand your fiduciary duties. Even trustees with the best of intentions can create liability for themselves by being unprepared for the job or by not fully understanding their obligations. Learn more about some of the common mistakes family trustees make that can lead to lawsuits and other...

Over the past decade, matriarchs and patriarchs of successful families have been shifting their focus from their children to a broader group of individuals, such as grandchildren, siblings, and nieces. Often, they choose to create family banks, which are typically trusts that are funded to help individuals pursue entrepreneurial opportunities, vent...

Succession is not just about money or property. It means confronting family relationships and taking the time to make sure that the drivers for succession planning connect personal motivations, the purpose of wealth, and specific family issues. It requires an emotional commitment to a process that once started must run its course, including having ...

Over the past 15 years, the IRS has attempted to ramp up its scrutiny of wealthy individuals. With billions in new funding promised under the Inflation Reduction Act, the IRS has announced additional tax enforcement efforts focused on the wealthiest filers, including high-income individuals, partnerships, and large corporations. Attorney Erin Lasen...

Choosing a trustee is a major decision—one that may impact you and your family in many ways for generations to come. Essentially, when you establish a trust for the benefit of others, you are handing down your values through the terms of the trust and your contributed financial assets. And with an increasing number of trusts lasting for multiple ge...

U.S. tax and information reporting obligations have become an increasing concern for international families and their succession planning structures. Missed or late filings can result in steep penalties, even when no tax is due. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is alerting the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to income and accounts held...

Disagreements and discord can arise when it comes to your family vacation home, a unique asset that symbolizes important memories and family connections. For this reason, you should specifically address the vacation home in your estate plan to avoid hard feelings and even disputes. With thoughtful and proactive planning, a family can avoid many of ...