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Art Valuation Policed By The Art Advisory Panel
October 16th, 2013
Whenever a U.S. taxpayer dies or gives away valuable art—or any time it changes hands other than through a sale—Uncle Sam has an interest in knowing its true value. The art panel protects that interest, by vetting values submitted by taxpayers or…
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Plotting A Legacy Through A Garden
October 15th, 2013
Cultivating a family legacy is not that different from tending a garden: land with poor prospects, at first glance, has to be coaxed over time –patiently and carefully–until it has a fertile life of its own. Case in point: The Morris family of Pe…
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Shutting Down A Trust
October 14th, 2013
Many trusts were set up over the years to help protect wealth from estate taxes. But the federal estate-tax exemption has risen steadily in recent years, to $5.25 million, or $10.5 million for couples, from $1 million in 2003. This year, Congress mad…
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Shutting Down A Trust
October 14th, 2013
Many trusts were set up over the years to help protect wealth from estate taxes. But the federal estate-tax exemption has risen steadily in recent years, to $5.25 million, or $10.5 million for couples, from $1 million in 2003. This year, Congress mad…
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When Your Estate Is "You" in Ann Arbor
October 11th, 2013
“My husband and I own a law firm, and part of the appeal of our law firm is us,” said Kelly Phillips Erb, a lawyer outside Philadelphia who has blogged on the tax matters related to the Jackson estate. “If we’re not around the next day, the v…
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Inheritance Planning For Grandchildren Using Roth IRAs
October 10th, 2013
In most situations, you can leave your Roth IRA to anyone you please simply by designating them as beneficiary. While it is perfectly legal to leave retirement accounts to a minor, doing so can create some complications. IRAs aren't j…
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What Will You Give To Charity? Consider A Life Insurance Policy
October 9th, 2013
You have a whole or universal life-insurance policy that you or your heirs don't really need. What do you do? Well, you may want to donate it to your favorite charity. There are basically two ways to do it. Ask any widow or widower and the…
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Medicare Treatment Denied By A Medicare Advantage Plan? You Can Appeal!
October 8th, 2013
By one count, nearly one-third of Medicare Advantage plan enrollees say they were denied coverage for treatment by their plans. Such denials of coverage can be enraging or even life-threatening. However, there is an appeal process to resolve these co…
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Buffett's Lessons On Charitable Giving in Ann Arbor
October 7th, 2013
In the end, you can think of the RISE system as a basic question: Is this organization built to get the job done? And, will it help you get your job of doing some good in the world done right? Giving to a good cause can have a substantial impact on t…
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The Methods Of A "Qualified Appraisal" in Ann Arbor
October 4th, 2013
What makes an appraisal “qualified,” says the Tax Court, is whether it provides sufficient information to enable the Internal Revenue Service to evaluate an appraiser’s methodology. When you give cash to charity, it is a pretty straightfo…
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