From the announcement of the increased annual exclusion and gift and estate tax exemption for 2022 to the release of proposed regulations implementing the Corporate Transparency Act, we have recently seen significant developments in estate planning and business law. To ensure that you stay abreast of these legal changes, we have highlighted some noteworthy developments and analyzed how they may impact your estate planning and business law practice.
Current Developments in Estate Planning and Business Law: December 2021
By WealthCounsel Staff on Dec 17, 2021 10:00:00 AM
Does Transfer-on-Death Become Fraudulent Transfer?
By Jill Roamer, JD, CIPP/US on Dec 9, 2021 12:33:00 PM
A new case out of the Court of Appeals of Ohio analyzes whether the beneficiary of a transfer-on-death (TOD) account was liable for an unpaid nursing home bill, based on a fraudulent transfer claim. Here, Marian was admitted to a nursing home facility and died about a month later. She left an unpaid balance to the home of roughly $16,000. The nursing home sued Marian’s son, Fredric, alleging fraudulent transfer due to a TOD beneficiary designation that Marian had executed before her death on an investment account, naming Fredric as beneficiary. The nursing home wanted compensation from the investment account funds that Fredric received.
The trial court ruled in favor of Fredric, and the nursing home appealed. The Court of Appeals of Ohio reversed the trial court’s judgment and remanded for further action. The parties litigated further and the trial court once again ruled in favor of Fredric. The appeals court once again took on the case and now we have the instant ruling.
Lessons from the Court: Ginsburg v. United States
By WealthCounsel Staff on Dec 3, 2021 10:00:00 AM
Business lawyers should be aware that advising partnerships can be tricky: the federal partnership tax rules can be quite complicated. Partnerships should be formed for a legitimate business purpose—not just to avoid taxes—and partners should take care to avoid overstating their losses and underpaying taxes. In addition, if the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) imposes a penalty, any defenses must be raised at the proper stage: otherwise, they will be unavailable. As we examine the recent decision in Ginsburg v. United States, we can learn lessons about how the federal government handles tax issues relating to business partnerships.