Effective February 16, 2021, Proposition 19 went into effect and made sweeping changes to property tax reassessments. Here are the current property tax exemptions available in California: 1. Homeowners’ Exemption The California Constitution provides for the exemption of $7,000 in assessed value from property tax assessment of any property owned and occupied as the owner’s Read the full article…
Understanding the Changes to Estate and Gift Exemption in 2024
The Internal Revenue Service has published the 2024 Estate and Gift Exemption Amounts. The Unified Exclusion Amount is $13,610,000 and the Annual Gift Exemption Amount is $18,000. In addition to the annual gift exemption, payments made directly to medical providers or educational institutions are considered non-reportable. Married couples will be able to gift up to Read the full article…
California Changes Tax Legislation for Incomplete Non-Grantor Trusts
Prior to January 1, 2023, California residents were able to avoid California taxation for any income earned by the ING trust that was not distributed to them. Incomplete Non-Grantor (ING) trusts are incomplete (“gift”) non-grantor trusts with the unique purpose of avoiding the imposition of state income tax on transactions occurring inside the trust. The Read the full article…
The Trust “Oil Change” – Reviewing and Updating Your Trust
As one annually services their automobile for an oil change and routine maintenance, it is also prudent to review your trust to confirm that your original documents are consistent with your wishes. At a minimum, one should look at the following provisions of their trust to determine if any changes are required: Successor Trustee – Read the full article…
Common Ways to Hold Title in California
We often get questions from clients on how to hold title to property they are about to purchase. As real estate might be the most important asset that an individual or couple may own, how ownership is vested is extremely important. Proper titling will affect the current and future rights of parties to the transaction, Read the full article…
Uncommon Trusts
In our last article in this series, we covered the different types of trusts that can be established. In this article, we’ll discuss uncommon trusts that can be utilized. Other Trusts That Can Be Established Blind Trust The trustees of a blind trust manage the assets in the trust without the beneficiaries’ knowledge. The beneficiaries Read the full article…
Types of Trusts
In the last article in our series, we covered the benefits a trust offers for creators and beneficiaries. In this article, we’ll dive into more detail about the types of trusts that can be established and the pros and cons. Types of Trusts Revocable Trusts Revocable trusts (living trusts) can be changed or canceled at Read the full article…
Advantages of Trusts for Estate Planning
In the first article in this series, we covered what a trust is and the type of assets you may transfer to a trust. As a reminder, a trust is a legal agreement between two parties: the trustee and the trustor (sometimes called the settlor or grantor). The trustor is the person who establishes the Read the full article…
What is a Trust?
In this first article in our upcoming series, we will discuss a trust and the type of assets you may transfer to a trust. Please stay tuned for more related articles coming soon and reach out to our team if you have any questions about estate and trust. A trust is a legal agreement between Read the full article…









