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Deducting Charitable Art Donations

April 16, 2019

Girl With a Balloon by British street artist Banksy was shredded in its frame seconds after the winning telephone bid of $1.4 million at a Sotheby’s London auction on Oct. 6, 2018. The prank—believed to be arranged by the artist himself — was accomplished by a remote-control device at the back of the frame.


Trusts & Estates Magazine
By Conrad Teitell, Laura Weintraub Beck, and Sarah A. Ricciardi

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How Does Portability Effect Your Estate Plan?

March 26, 2019

Portability is the term used to describe a relatively new provision in federal estate tax law that allows a widow or widower to use any unused federal estate tax exemption of his or her deceased spouse to shelter assets from gift tax during the surviving spouse’s life and/or estate tax at the surviving spouse’s death.

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Falling From Legislative Grace

March 25, 2019

The charitable deduction is meant to incentivize taxpayers to contribute to charities, not find ways to cheat the system.


Trusts & Estates Magazine Website

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The IRS Man Cometh for College Admission Scammers

March 25, 2019

The charitable deduction is meant to incentivize taxpayers to contribute to charities, not find ways to cheat the system.


Trusts & Estates Magazine Website

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Have You Ever Been Asked to Serve as Trustee of a Trust? What Does That Mean for You?

March 17, 2019

Have you ever been asked by a family member or friend to serve as Trustee of a trust for the benefit of their children or family members? 

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Charitable Deduction Deconstruction

February 11, 2019

There will always be reasons to be charitable. But, if your client is looking to claim a deduction, be sure she follows the rules.


Trusts & Estates Magazine Website
By Brianna L. Marquis and Andrew M. Nerney

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Retirement Planning: It's a Good Time to Review your Estate Plan

January 9, 2019

Laura Weintraub Beck, Chairman of Cummings & Lockwood Private Clients Group was interviewed for an article by Julie Jason, "Retirement Planning: It's a Good Time to Review your Estate Plan" which was syndicated through King Features, a Unit of Hearst which ran January 10, 2019.

By Julie Jason

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Are You Prepared? The Importance of Planning Your Estate

Fall 2018 - Winter 2019

Are you prepared?  Have you given serious thought to your estate planning, final wishes, and your beneficiaries?


Beyond the Gates
By Angela Theresa Frizalone

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Cryptocurrency - Estate and Charitable Planning and Compliance

Getting up to speed on virtual currencies for fiduciaries, heirs and charities
January 2019
Trusts & Estates Magazine

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Ancillary Probate in Florida

December 3, 2018

The “Sunshine State” is well-known for attracting individuals, such as snowbirds, who often own Florida property without becoming residents of the state. However, if a non-resident of Florida dies leaving Florida property, administration of the decedent’s estate may be complicated by the need for an ancillary probate proceeding in Florida to dispose of the Florida property.


Practical Law Journal

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Disclaimer Danger: IRS Deems Disclaimer of Trust Interest Not Subject to Gift Tax

November 25, 2018

A disclaimer, in the most basic estate-planning sense, is a refusal to accept an interest in property.  But why would someone ever reject an interest in a trust or an inheritance?  There’s actually several reasons.


Trusts & Estates Magazine Website
By Brianna L. Marquis and Andrew M. Nerney

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Modification of a GST Trust Didn't Impact Its Exclusion Status

A recent PLR demonstrates the dangers that even judicial modifications can pose to a trust's tax status.
October 25, 2018

Chapter 13 of the Internal Revenue Code imposes a tax on generation-skipping transfers (that is, transfers to individuals more than one generation below the donor).


Trusts & Estates Magazine Website
By Caroline Demirs Calio and Andrew M. Nerney

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