Alerts & Updates
The IRS Announces Estate, Gift and Generation-Skipping Transfer (GST) Tax Inflation Increases for 2025
October 23, 2024On October 22, 2024, the IRS officially announced the inflation adjustments for 2025 for the gift and estate tax exemptions. The federal estate, gift and generation-skipping tax exemption will increase to $13,990,000 for 2025 from $13,610,000 in 2024.
Massachusetts Announces Tax Amnesty Program - But You Better Hurry
October 10, 2024The Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) recently announced a tax amnesty program that will allow non-filers and taxpayers with outstanding Massachusetts tax liabilities to pay back taxes and avoid penalties (including interest on penalties) for all filing periods. The Massachusetts Tax Amnesty 2024 Program is open to all taxpayers who are required to file tax returns with the DOR and will run from November 1 through December 30, 2024.
2024 Private Clients Annual Update
September 26, 2024We hope that you and your family are enjoying a healthy and happy 2024. As another year passes, we once again find ourselves facing uncertainty concerning the future of the federal gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer (“GST”) tax regime resulting from both the upcoming 2024 federal elections and the scheduled sunsetting of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “2017 Tax Act”) on December 31, 2025.
Corporate Transparency Act and the New Federal Reporting Requirements
September 20, 2024In this alert, Cummings & Lockwood discusses the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and the new federal reporting requirements. The CTA requires all entities to file a report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury identifying certain of the entities’ beneficial owners. The alert outlines when the report is due, who is responsible for filing, who is exempt, who has to file and what are the penalties for not filing.
Taxpayer Liable for Taxes on S Corporation Income Embezzled by Other Shareholders
September 5, 2024One of the requirements to be treated as an S corporation for federal income tax purposes is that the corporation can have only one class of stock. This requirement means that all of the outstanding stock must confer identical rights with respect to distribution and liquidation proceeds.
Connecticut Modifies Retirement Income Withholding Requirements and Other Tax Law Changes
July 29, 2024Governor Ned Lamont recently signed legislation which modifies a number of important Connecticut tax provisions. Most modifications become effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025 and include:
CONNELLY v. UNITED STATES: Supreme Court Weighed In on the Valuation of Closely-Held Companies for Estate Tax Purposes
June 27, 2024Succession planning for many closely-held and family businesses will be impacted by the Supreme Court’s June 6, 2024 ruling in Connelly v. United States. In the case, the Court unanimously upheld the IRS’s position that life insurance proceeds payable to a company to fund its obligation to redeem shares from a deceased shareholder are an asset that increases the company’s fair market value.
Connecticut Passes Decanting Statute to Provide Greater Flexibility to Modify Old Trusts
June 10, 2024On June 5, 2024, Connecticut followed a number of other states by passing a “decanting” statute which specifically authorizes decanting of irrevocable trusts in Connecticut. Decanting is the act of a Trustee distributing the assets from a trust (“Old Trust”) into a new trust (“New Trust”) which has different terms that are more suited to the current circumstances.
IRS Concludes Trust Distribution Prior to Sale Does Not Violate Like-Kind Exchange “Held For” Requirement
May 30, 2024Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 allows taxpayers to defer federal income tax on the sale of real estate (relinquished property) if the sales proceeds are reinvested in business or investment real estate (replacement property) (a “like-kind exchange”).
Connecticut Plans to Fight Back Against New York's Remote Work Tax (Sort Of)
March 6, 2024In most cases, an employee who lives in one state (State A) but works for an employer in another state (State B) is taxed by State B only on wages earned during days he is physically working in State B.
2023 Cummings & Lockwood Firmwide Annual Update
January 30, 2024We are pleased to bring you Cummings & Lockwood’s 2023 Firmwide Annual
Update. It includes our Chairman’s letter, as well as highlights some of the significant
legal work we have performed for clients in each of our four practice areas, the
philanthropic organizations we have supported, and the professional recognitions we
have received based on the quality of our legal counsel and representation.
Tax Court Decision Exposes Limited Partners To Self-Employment Tax
January 3, 2024Under U.S. federal income tax law, self-employment tax is imposed at a rate of 15.3%, with 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare.