Tag: estate tax

Could the Potential 2025 Tax Law Changes Affect Your Florida Estate Plan?

Estate tax laws are set to undergo significant changes in 2025, and these changes could have a major impact on how you transfer wealth to your loved ones. For years, individuals and families have benefited from historically high estate tax exemptions, but these are set to roll back in the coming year. If your estate exceeds the adjusted exemption limits, your heirs could face substantial tax burdens, diminishing the legacy you worked so hard to build.

The current estate tax exemption allows individuals to pass up to $12.92 million (or $25.84 million for married couples) to their heirs tax-free. However, beginning in 2025, this amount is expected to drop significantly, reverting to approximately $5 million per individual, adjusted for inflation. For high-net-worth families, this rollback underscores the urgency of planning now to mitigate potential tax liabilities. Without action, many estates may find themselves unprepared for these changes.

Proactive estate planning is the key to navigating these challenges. By working with an experienced Florida estate planning attorney, you can explore strategies such as gifting, trust creation, and other wealth transfer tools to minimize tax exposure. The window for taking advantage of the current exemption is closing quickly, and acting before the changes take effect can make all the difference in protecting your legacy. Now is the time to safeguard your wealth for future generations. Let us share a few things to know with you right here in our blog.

1. Estate tax exemption rollback. The current federal estate tax exemption is historically high, allowing individuals to pass on up to $12.92 million tax-free. In 2025, this exemption is set to roll back to approximately $5 million (adjusted for inflation). This could bring more estates under the tax’s scope.

2. Gifting opportunities before the deadline. The temporary high exemption allows for significant tax-free gifts. Consider transferring wealth now through direct gifts or funding irrevocable trusts to lock in these benefits.

3. Strategic use of trusts agreements. Irrevocable trusts, such as grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs) and spousal lifetime access trusts (SLATs), can help reduce taxable estate values while providing asset protection.

4. State estate taxes. Many states have their own estate tax thresholds, which are often much lower than the federal limits. Reviewing state-specific implications, especially when you have real property outside of Florida, is essential.

5. Plan for liquidity needs. Estates with illiquid assets like real estate or businesses may face challenges in covering taxes. Incorporating life insurance or other liquidity strategies can prevent forced sales.

We know this article raises more questions than it answers. The upcoming changes underscore the importance of proactive estate planning. Working with an experienced Florida estate planning attorney ensures your plan is optimized for the new tax environment, preserving your wealth for future generations.

Elder and Estate Planning Attorneys, PA, is a law office small enough to provide personal service but large enough to provide service in Jupiter, as well as Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River Counties in Florida. Our law firm will guide you through legal challenges involving elder law, estate planning, trusts, veterans benefits, real estate, and more. We encourage you to contact us and schedule a meeting with our attorneys.

Estate Planning Tips Floridians Need When They Near the Proposed Tax Limits

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Have you seen the  rise and fall in estate taxation rates making headlines these days? It seems to be more and more common, especially given the changes that often occur with new leadership at the federal level. Right now, the federal estate tax exemptions are so high that very few Americans need to be concerned with approaching the limits. The federal exclusion is approximately $11.7 million per individual person or $23.4 million for a married couple. Luckily for Floridians, the state of Florida does not impose any estate tax of its own in addition to the federal tax. Floridians who wish to be careful with their estate planning, however, may want to keep abreast of the proposed changes to the estate tax exemption at the federal level. 

The bill introduced to Congress in March proposes that the individual estate tax exemption be lowered to $3.5 million per person or $7 million for a married couple, reducing the current amounts by roughly two-thirds. Let us discuss some estate planning tips for Florida married couples who are nearing the proposed estate tax exemption limits.

You may want to consider creating a Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT). This is because different types of irrevocable trusts, such as SLATs, may exclude your assets from being subject to estate tax if you are nearing the federal estate tax limits. Keep in mind that once you put money into an irrevocable trust, you cannot take it back, so if you are just nearing the proposed federal estate tax exemption limit you may want to shield only the funds necessary for exemption in a trust. A Spousal Lifetime Access Trust may work for a long-married couple. The donor spouse makes a gift to the trust for the other spouse’s benefit. Any appreciation of assets gifted to the trust will be excluded from the estate of both spouses for tax purposes, removing the need for the surviving spouse to pay taxes on the capital gains. 

You may also benefit from filing a surviving spouse return when needed. For a married couple, the combined estate tax limit can be important. Any part of the current $11.7 million individual exemption, or potential future $3.5 million individual exemption, that is not used when the first spouse passes away can be carried over to the other spouse. When the second spouse dies, they can use up to the full amount of the married couple credit. This is referred to as a Deceased Spousal Unused Exclusion (DSUE). To obtain this benefit, the second spouse has to file a federal estate tax return (IRS Form 706) upon the first spouse’s death and make the accurate election. 

Do you have questions? Please contact our law practice to learn more. We are here for you. Elder and Estate Planning Attorneys PA is a law office small enough to provide personal service but large enough to provide service in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River Counties.