Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about charitable giving and estate planning ideas. When the first of two spouses dies the survivor can safeguard the ...

The U.S. tax code is generous when it comes to passing down money to heirs tax-free, and it has only become more so under the new tax law. But for married couples to obtain the full benefit, there is ...

The IRS issued interim final and proposed regulations Friday (T.D. 10031 and REG-107459-24) lowering the user fee for the Service to issue an estate tax closing letter from $67 to $56. An estate tax ...

Estate of Billy S. Rowland v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2025-76 (U.S.T.C. July 15, 2025) illustrates the scope of the special reporting rule for portability returns under Treasury Regulations Section ...

CPAs MUST EXERCISE CAUTION TO CAPTURE CORRECT income in respect of the decedent (IRD) deductions on clients’ returns. Since clients typically don’t understand the issue well enough to volunteer the ...

But estate taxes were one of the myriad items covered by the Reconciliation Act signed into law on July 4, 2025, and unofficially referred to as One Big Beautiful Bill. The estate tax exemption, ...