Estate and Gift Tax/Estate Planning

Semester: Fall 2014
Course ID: 479M
Credit Hours: 4
Unique: 29630

Course Information

Grading Method: Pass/Fail Allowed (JD only)

Registration Information

Upperclass-only elective

Meeting Times

Day	Time	Location
MON, TUE, WED, THU	1:15 - 2:05 pm	JON 6.207

Evaluation Method

Type	Date	Time	Location
Final exam	December 18, 2014	8:30 am	A-Z in 3.126

Description

This course examines the federal wealth transfer tax system, including the estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes; in particular, their application to a wide variety of gratuitous transfers, both lifetime and testamentary. In the case of the gift tax, it considers the concept of a "transfer of property by gift," complete and incomplete transfers, the annual exclusion, and gift-splitting. In the case of the estate tax, it considers the concept of "gross estate," including interests still owned at death, property transferred during life subject to retained interests or powers or in contemplation of death, property subject to powers of appointment, jointly owned property, life insurance, and annuities and employee death benefits. As to both the gift tax and the estate tax, it focuses heavily on the marital and charitable deductions, the unified credit, and problems of valuation. It also considers the generation-skipping tax, but in less detail. Throughout, it relates the material under consideration to basic, and sometimes not-so-basic, estate planning, including the creation of trusts, both revocable and irrevocable, and the transfer of business interests from one generation to another. Prerequisite/Co-requisite: Wills & Estates FIT is NOT a prerequisite. Related Course Areas Property, Tax

Textbooks ( * denotes required )

Federal Taxation of Wealth Transfers *

Willbanks

Wolters Kluwer , edition: 3d 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4548-1014-8

Federal Estate & Gift Taxes: Code & Regulations Including Related Income Tax Provisions *

CCH

CCH , edition: 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8080-3263-2

Instructors

Ascher, Mark L.