LLM Tax Gift and Estate Tax Planning

The course focuses on techniques for the transmission of wealth to a person s successors with emphasis on methods of minimizing federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes under the Internal Revenue Code. Appropriate consideration is also given to the federal income tax consequences of wealth transfer transactions. Both inter vivos and testamentary planning techniques are covered, as is the use of trusts to meet estate-planning objectives. Other topics include the valuation of property included in the transfer tax base, transfers to minors, life insurance planning, planning for jointly-held property and community property, charitable gifts and bequests, retirement benefits planning, and deductions (particularly the marital deduction) from transfer taxes. The basic course in income tax is not required, but is a desirable preparation. The course is taught by Kenneth Weiss, a member of the law firm of McGlinchey Stafford, who is a board certified specialist in both taxation and estate planning.