Charitable giving is important all year 'round, but it's often this time of year when we receive the vast majority of solicitations. Why? Well, charities know that if you're in the position to itemize, you may be looking for a few more deductions to offset some gains...
Bay Area Estate And Tax Planning Law Firm
Month: November 2014
Are there estate planning tasks that naturally fall at year-end?
Love and marriage, soup and sandwiches, tax planning and estate planning -- some things just naturally go together, and now is a good time to sit down and look all of it over. Just before the holidays may be an especially good time to review an estate plan. Some of us...
Weil case illustrates important point about holdings overseas
There's a very good chance that you haven't heard of Raoul Weil, but the tax evasion case that he was wrapped up in likely had a major impact on every U.S. citizen who keeps money overseas. Weil was a former executive at UBS -- a financial giant in Switzerland -- and...
Thinking about amending a trust?
If you have created a trust, you have already taken steps to ensure that your financial wishes are executed in the ways you believe they should be. But simply because you have created a trust does not mean that your wishes cannot change. Life events such as marriage,...
The uncivil nature of civil forfeiture: People, businesses suffer
Was it 9/11 or the financial meltdown and recession that put more small businesses in the IRS's crosshairs? A mere sideways look from the agency can cost a small business more time, money and credibility than most can afford -- even if the business has done nothing...
Because a mind – and a tax break – is a terrible thing to waste p3
This is the time of year that many people start thinking about their taxes. There is time left in 2014 to reduce a tax bill, and there are a number of ways to do that. For those among us who have a little extra cash, it may be time to think about donating to a...