United States: Inheritance Tax

When it comes to estate planning, even the rich and famous are not immune to costly mistakes. This examination of celebrity estate planning mishaps reveals how iconic figures have fallen victim to oversights leading to legal battles, unintended heirs, and millions in tax losses, offering valuable lessons for legal professionals and individuals alike.

The U.S. tax landscape has undergone dramatic transformation since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2018, with evolving rules, expiring provisions, and major legislation during President Trump's second term. This analysis examines the six most significant tax developments of the past eight years, from historic estate tax exemption increases to the growing importance of international taxation, and explores what these changes mean for taxpayers, advisors, and business owners navigating today's more stable but sti

A Connecticut Supreme Court decision demonstrates how a $13 million estate tax dispute reinforces a critical planning lesson: formal declarations of domicile carry limited weight when contradicted by an individual's actual living patterns. The case examines how spending more time in Connecticut than Florida, despite obtaining a Florida driver's license and voter registration, led to a substantial tax liability.

S corporation shareholders who elected to defer the Section 965 transition tax under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act face ongoing compliance obligations and potential acceleration risks. Understanding the strict filing deadlines, triggering events, and annual reporting requirements is essential to avoid unexpected tax liabilities and costly penalties that can arise from routine business transactions or estate planning activities.

The U.S. Treasury issued final regulations on July 9, 2026, modernizing the requirements for qualified domestic trusts (QDOTs) under Internal Revenue Code Section 2056A. These updated rules introduce new procedures, filing requirements, and security arrangements that estates must follow when a deceased spouse leaves behind a non-U.S. citizen surviving spouse, fundamentally changing how international couples navigate estate tax planning.

This comprehensive legal update covers critical developments in estate planning, tax law, and trust administration. From new IRS interest rates and fee increases to landmark court decisions on trust validity and marital property, practitioners will find essential guidance on navigating complex estate and trust matters in an evolving regulatory landscape.

A revocable living trust (sometimes called a revocable inter vivos trust) is a legal arrangement you create during your lifetime to hold legal title to your assets.

Estate planning isn't a one-time task—life changes like marriage, divorce, new children, real estate purchases, and shifts in net worth can all impact your plan's effectiveness.

As more families live, invest, and hold assets across multiple countries, estate plan ning increasingly requires coordination between legal systems that are not designed to work together.