Illinois and Federal Estate Tax Planning
Serving Clients in Orland Park and the Surrounding Area
The federal estate tax is levied on the transfer of a person’s assets after death. In actuality, it is neither a death tax nor an inheritance tax, but more accurately, a transfer tax. There are three distinct aspects to federal wealth transfer taxes that comprise what is called the Unified Transfer Tax: 1) Estate Taxes, 2) Gift Taxes, and 3) Generation-Skipping Transfer Taxes. The Law Office of Michael T. Huguelet provides prudent legal planning to avoid or minimize these transfer taxes as an important aspect of comprehensive estate planning.
Understanding Changes to Federal Estate Tax Laws
The most recent iteration of the federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax was signed into law by President Trump on December 22, 2017, as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA 2017). There are a few things you ought to know about this law.
With the stroke of his pen on December 22, 2017, President Donald Trump increased the federal estate tax exemption to $11,200,000 per individual (and $22,400,000 for married couples). The tax rate for amounts above what can be exempted remains at 40%.
Lifetime Gift Tax Exemption and Annual Gift Tax Exclusion
The TCJA 2017 continues the concept of a unified exemption that ties together the gift tax and the estate tax. This means that, to the extent you utilize your lifetime gift tax exemption while living, your federal estate tax exemption at death will be reduced accordingly. Note: Gifts made within your annual gift exclusion amount do not count against your unified lifetime gift and estate tax exemption.
So, how much is this annual gift exclusion?
The annual gift exclusion has increased to $15,000 due to its inflation adjustment. Married couples can combine their annual gift exclusion amounts to make tax-exempt gifts totaling $30,000 to as many individuals as they choose each year, whether both spouses contribute equally, or if the entire gift comes from one spouse.
Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Exemption
So, what is this GSTT? Basically, it is a transfer tax on property passing from one generation to another generation that is two or more generational levels below the transferring generation. For instance, a transfer from a grandparent to a grandchild or from an individual to another unrelated individual who is more than 37.5 years younger than the transferor.
Properly done, this can transfer significant wealth between generations.
The amount that can escape federal estate taxation between generations, otherwise known as the Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Exemption (GSTT) is unified with the federal estate tax exemption and the lifetime gift tax exemption at $11,200,000 per individual (and $22,400,000 for married couples, subject to certain specific requirements). As with estate and gift taxes, the top GSTT tax rate is 40%.
Illinois Estate Taxes
Illinois’s estate tax system is commonly referred to as a “pick up” tax. This is because Illinois picks up all or a portion of the credit for state death taxes allowed on the federal estate tax return (federal form 706 or 706NA). Since there is no longer a federal credit for state estate taxes on the federal estate tax return, there is no longer basis for the Illinois estate tax. Illinois has neither an estate tax – a tax paid by the estate, nor an inheritance tax – a tax paid by a recipient of a gift from an estate.
However, in addition to the federal gift, estate, and generation-skipping taxes, some states have their own independent state estate taxes and still others also levy and inheritance tax. Even this fact of life is in a state of flux, especially given the status of state budgets expanding as revenues are shrinking in some states. Be sure to schedule a consultation with The Law Office of Michael T. Huguelet if you are presently residing in such a state, thinking about retiring to such a state, or may be inheriting from a resident of such a state. We may be able to recommend some planning strategies to legally minimize or eliminate future tax exposures.