The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has doubled the federal gift and estate tax exemption, with inflation-adjustments projected to raise it to $11.18 million for 2018.This means federal estate taxes are a concern for fewer families, at least in the short term. (The doubled exemption expires December 31, 2025.) But it’s important to consider how state estate or inheritance taxes may affect your estate plan.

There’s uncertainty about how states will respond to the increased federal estate tax exemption. One line of thought is that many states will continue to “decouple” from the federal exemption and impose their own estate tax exemptions at a lower amount.

Establishing residency in a new state

If your estate is large enough that estate tax liability is a concern, one option is to move to a state that imposes low or no estate or inheritance taxes. But moving to a tax-friendly state doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve escaped taxation by the state you left. Unless you’ve cut all ties with your former state, there’s a risk that the state will claim you’re still a resident and are subject to its estate tax.

Even if you’ve successfully established residency in a new state, you may be subject to estate taxes on real estate or tangible personal property located in the old state (depending on that state’s tax laws). And don’t assume that your estate won’t be taxed on this property merely because its value is less than the federal exemption amount. In some states, estate taxes are triggered when the value of your worldwide assets exceeds the state’s exemption amount.

Terminating residency with a previous state

If you’re relocating to a state with low or no estate taxes, consult with us about steps you can take to terminate residency in the old state and establish residency in the new one. Examples include acquiring a residence in the new state, obtaining a driver’s license and registering to vote there, receiving important documents at your new address, opening bank accounts in the new state and closing the old ones, and moving cherished personal possessions to the new state.

If you own real estate in the old state, consider transferring it to a limited liability company or other entity. In some states, interests in these entities may be treated as nontaxable intangible property. Contact us to learn more about how state estate or inheritance taxes may affect your estate plan.

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Not-for-profit board officers, directors, trustees and key employees must avoid conflicts of interest because it’s their duty to do so. Any direct or indirect financial interest in a transaction or arrangement that might benefit one of these individuals personally could result in the loss of your organization’s tax-exempt status — and its reputation
Here’s a quick checklist to gauge whether your nonprofit is doing what it takes to avoid conflicts of interest:

• Do you have a conflict-of-interest policy in place that specifies what constitutes a conflict and lists exceptions?
• Do you require board officers, directors, trustees and key employees to annually pledge to disclose interests, relationships and financial holdings that could result in a conflict of interest?
• Do they understand that they must speak up if issues arise that could pose a possible conflict?
• Do you provide training in conflicts of interest?
• Do you have procedures in place that outline the steps you’ll take when a possible conflict of interest arises?
• Are individuals with possible conflicts asked to present only the facts, and then remove themselves from any discussion of the issue?
• Do you keep minutes of the meetings where the conflict of interest is discussed, noting those members present and voting, and indicating the final decision reached?\
• Do you put projects out for bid — with identical specifications — to multiple vendors?
• Do you supply a written contract to each vendor that details the service the company will provide, specific deliverables, cost estimates and a time frame for delivery?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, contact us. We can help you make sure that you have an adequate conflict-of-interest policy in place and a full set of procedures to support it.

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For many companies, there comes a time when owners must decide whether to renew a lease, move on to a different one or buy new (or pre-existing) space. In some cases, it’s a relatively easy decision. Maybe you’re happy where you are and feel like such a part of the local community that moving isn’t an option.

But, in other cases, a move can be an important step forward. For example, if a business is looking to cut costs, reducing office space and signing a less expensive lease can generally help the bottom line. Conversely, a growing company might decide to buy property and build new to increase its prestige and visibility. Making the right choice is critical.

Buyers beware

Buying office space is clearly a major undertaking. But owning your own building can give you flexibility and tax advantages a lease can’t offer. For instance, you can:

• Control how to configure and use the property,
• Sublet some of the space if you so choose, and
• Decorate, landscape and maintain it as you wish.

You’ll also benefit from mortgage interest and depreciation deductions at tax time.

Naturally, there are risks to ownership. For one, you won’t be able to easily pick up and move on. And if you’re structured as a flow-through entity, you’ll need to decide how the owners will share the cost of buying and maintaining the building. Keep in mind that the building need not be owned in the same proportion as the business itself.

There are other matters to consider as well. You’ll have to delegate responsibility for arranging and overseeing activities such as exterior maintenance, cleaning, and paying taxes and insurance. Plus, if you decide to sublet some of your space, you’ll need to wear one more hat — that of a landlord.

Lessees look out

Of course, as you may well know from doing it for a number of years, leasing business space has its downsides, too. Perhaps you’ve dealt with a particularly unresponsive landlord or property management company. You may also have less freedom to change or rearrange space — not to mention ever-increasing rent and the loss of mortgage interest and depreciation tax deductions. If you decide to move, though, it’s easier to leave a rented office than to sell one you own.

Ultimately, it’s a question of net present values. Will the present value of the capital appreciation you ultimately gain when the property is sold be greater than the current cash flow advantage you’d likely have under a lease?

Consider your options

These are just a few of the issues to study as you consider your company’s location and office space heading into a new year. Remember, there may be tax issues not mentioned here or other factors affecting the right decision. Contact us for a full assessment of your options.

©2018