President-elect Donald Trump could eliminate the estate tax, which would change the focus from planning for the estate tax to asset protection, according to the Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog in "The Future of Estate Planning Under President Trump."
As the Republicans also maintained majorities in the House and Senate during the election it might seem reasonable to assume that Trump's estate tax plans and his other estate planning proposals will soon go into effect. However, there are a couple of reasons that assumption is not necessarily a good one.
The first thing to consider is that President-elect Trump made many proposals to cut taxes while campaigning. Some economists have suggested that all of his numbers do not add up and his tax cutting proposals would add an unsustainable amount to the deficit. Trump disputes these claims, but some congressional Republicans could seek to reduce the amount of tax cuts if they are convinced by the economists.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the Republicans do not have a filibuster proof majority in the Senate. Due to the quirks in Senate rules, it is possible for tax cuts to be passed in a way that cannot be filibustered. However, Republicans may be wary of doing so if they can get Senate Democrats to cooperate on other issues for which they cannot avoid a filibuster.
An estate planning attorney can guide you to a plan that will fit your unique circumstances as well as the laws of the land.
Reference: Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog (Nov. 20, 2016) "The Future of Estate Planning Under President Trump."
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