Plan your estate now, save taxes later

Description

Abstract: The estate tax provisions of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA), combined with dealership values that continue to be relatively low, provide significant tax-saving opportunities for dealers in 2013. This article looks at the higher lifetime gift and estate tax exemption and rate and notes that it’s important to start estate planning early to maximize tax-free transfers of dealership assets before they appreciate. It also discusses dealership valuation, family limited partnerships and grantor retained annuity trusts.