Richard Umanoff, CPA, MBA
PRINCIPAL — ESTATE & GIFT, TRUST AND PROBATE
Richard Umanoff is an Estate & Gift, Trust and Probate Principal at KROST. Richard's career spans over 45 years, with a concentration in taxation. His primary emphasis is estate and trust tax compliance, planning, estate administration, and probate court accounting. Richard currently serves in the role of trustee for numerous clients.
Richard can assist with the transition of family wealth and estate succession. He has experience working with family-owned and privately held companies, as well as high-net-worth individuals. His primary goal is to assist individuals and their attorneys to effectively transfer wealth while minimizing unnecessary estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes. In addition, he can coordinate all of your Estate & Gift, Trust and Probate Planning needs to ensure a smooth transition while minimizing emotional, tax, and administrative burdens.
Richard earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo. His graduate courses included the successful completion of The Professional Accounting Option.
Prior to joining KROST in 2020, Richard was Managing Partner of Gaynor & Umanoff, LLP in their Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles offices.
Richard lives in Redondo Beach with his wife, Susan.
Professional Experience
- KROST, Principal — Estate & Gift, Trust and Probate (Present)
- Gaynor & Umanoff, LLP, Managing Partner (1979 — 2018)
Education
- Master of Business Administration, Professional Accounting, SUNY at Buffalo
- Bachelor of Science, SUNY at Buffalo
Professional Affiliations
- Member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) (1983 — Present)
- Member of California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA) (1983 — Present)
- Member of LA Estate Planning Committee (2012 — Present)
- Conference Planning Committee, UCLA Annual Tax Controversy Conference
Richard's Thought Leadership

Protecting Your Assets and Legacy: Estate & Trust Management in Sports and Entertainment
October 12, 2023This is one of the articles in the KROST Industry Sports & Entertainment Issue, titled “Protecting Your

California Changes Tax Legislation for Incomplete Non-Grantor Trusts
September 18, 2023Prior to January 1, 2023, California residents were able to avoid California taxation for any income earned

Get Organized with KROST’s Will & Trust Asset Legacy Planner
June 28, 2023Have You Heard About KROST’s Will & Trust Asset Legacy Planner? We understand the difficulty when losing

Take Advantage of Lifetime Exclusion While You Can
May 9, 2023When a person passes away, the deceased’s assets are subject to federal estate tax if the total

Estate & Trust Planning Strategies: Power of Appointment and Disclaimer Trust Explained
April 5, 2023In one of our previous articles, we covered the topic of disclaimers as an excellent post-mortem tax

The Impact of Power of Attorney and Understanding the Differences
February 20, 2023We often get questions about what to do when a person wants to give up their authority

The Trust “Oil Change” – Reviewing and Updating Your Trust
December 15, 2022As one annually services their automobile for an oil change and routine maintenance, it is also prudent

Benefits of Disclaimers in Post-Mortem Estate Planning
October 27, 2022When considering the creation of a will or a trust, one usually thinks about pre-death planning. However,

What is a SLAT?
August 31, 2022A Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT) is a trust established between spouses. Essentially, one spouse gives the

Common Ways to Hold Title in California
August 16, 2022We often get questions from clients on how to hold title to property they are about to