State Estate Taxes

In his note, Kevin M. Bohl (Editor-in-Chief, Elder Law Journal), discusses The Resurrection of the Death Tax: Decoupling and the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, 13 Elder L.J. 417 (2005).

Here is the conclusion of Mr. Bohl’s article:

The passage of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act in 2001 had a profound effect on estate taxation across the country. After the dust settled, state legislators and attorneys alike were appalled to find that planning for death in the United States had become a great deal more complex, unpredictable, and perhaps even impossible. While the comfortable and predictable world of estate tax laws on the federal and state level has now become a thing of the past, state legislators need to recognize the complexities that decoupling can create and modify the laws accordingly. In the meantime, attorneys must equip themselves with the proper knowledge to guide their clients through the newly dense jungle of laws until new paths are cleared for those who follow.