CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR TAX & FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS
Self-Study

Estate Elements & Tools

Individual
Teams

$261.00$291.00

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CPE Credits

9 Credits: Taxes
Course Level
Overview
Format
Self-Study

Course Description

Estate planning doesn’t have to be a daunting maze of tax codes and regulations; instead, it can be approached as a practical, real-life strategy to protect and distribute assets. This course focuses on the key elements and tools for a successful estate plan, from basic wills and healthcare directives to more complex trusts and partnerships, it explores comprehensive strategies that serve your unique needs. This approach encompasses a range of tools designed to minimize both income and estate taxes, such as strategic gifting, charitable donations, and various types of trusts. Additionally, it examines commonly used devices for transferring and controlling assets, like family limited partnerships, qualified personal residence trusts, and grantor-retained annuity trusts, each offering specific benefits in terms of tax efficiency and asset protection. By understanding these components and how they interact within the broader context of financial and family situations, practitioners can maximize the wealth transferred to beneficiaries, all while navigating the complexities of tax law with greater confidence and clarity.

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Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Chapter 1

  • Identify the elements of estate planning and the importance of well-drafted legal documents and cite the key team participants and their roles in the estate planning process.
  • Recognize the probate process to guide clients through an average probate.
  • Identify those estate tax-planning elements that remain relatively unaffected by recent legislation and recognize how each could benefit the taxpayer’s estate planning.
  • Specify estate planning goals in designing an effective plan and primary plans that allow disposition outside of probate and identify trusts in at least one of two ways.
  • Determine the mechanics of a living “A-B” and “A-B-C” (QTIP) trust and their ability to reduce death taxes and identify estate planning facts to develop an information base for an estate plan.

Chapter 2

  • Determine the taxable estate under §2501 and what assets are included in a gross estate using basic categories of property and transfers.
  • Identify the components of the gross estate under §2031 including terminating, reversionary, and retained interests, certain gifts, tenancies, powers, and insurance.
  • Specify estate deductions allowed under federal estate tax law and their tax advantages and disadvantages.
  • Determine the value of a decedent’s assets using permitted elections, recognize special valuations and payment options, and identify the basis of property acquired from a decedent.
  • Recognize the advantages of gift planning including estate reduction and the impact of the GST, specify the steps to compute gift tax identifying the gift tax exclusion amount, identify gift tax rates and the various gift tax exclusions, and cite the gift tax marital deduction requirements.

Chapter 3

  • Determine the distinctions between property disposition within probate under a will and intestate succession and identify ways to make transfers outside the probate system including the use of a trust.
  • Specify special exclusions, deductions, and transfers to be used as estate-planning tools permitting clients to pass more wealth to heirs and save death taxes while retaining maximum control where possible.
  • Recognize how specialized trusts and entities can reduce estate taxes and define grantor-retained income and personal residence trusts as estate-planning devices specifying their variations and their benefits to the grantor and beneficiaries.
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Course Specifics

Course ID
824404489
Revision Date
November 11, 2024
Prerequisites

General understanding of federal income taxation.

Advanced Preparation

None

Number of Pages
212

Compliance Information

NASBA Provider Number: 103220
IRS Provider Number: 0MYXB
IRS Course Number: 0MYXB-T-02662-24-S
IRS Federal Tax Law Credits: 9
CTEC Provider Number: 2071
CTEC Course Number: 2071-CE-2105
CTEC Federal Tax Law Credits: 9

CFP Notice: Not all courses that qualify for CFP® credit are registered by Western CPE. If a course does not have a CFP registration number in the compliance section, the continuing education will need to be individually reported with the CFP Board. For more information on the reporting process, required documentation, processing fee, etc., contact the CFP Board. CFP Professionals must take each course in it’s entirety, the CFP Board DOES NOT accept partial credits for courses.

CTEC Notice: California Tax Education Council DOES NOT allow partial credit, course must be taken in entirety. Western CPE has been approved by the California Tax Education Council to offer continuing education courses that count as credit towards the annual “continuing education” requirement imposed by the State of California for CTEC Registered Tax Preparers. A listing of additional requirements to register as a tax preparer may be obtained by contacting CTEC at P.O. Box 2890, Sacramento, CA, 95812-2890, by phone toll-free at (877) 850-2832, or on the Internet at www.ctec.org.

Meet The Experts

Danny Santucci, BA, JD, is a prolific author of tax and financial books and articles. His legal career started with the business and litigation firm of Edwards, Edwards, and Ashton. Later he joined the Century City entertainment firm of Bushkin, Gaims, Gaines, and Jonas working for many well-known celebrities. In 1980, Danny established the law firm of Santucci, Potter, and Leanders in Irvine, California. With increasing lecture and writing commitments, Danny went into sole practice in 1995. His practice emphasizes business taxation, real estate law, and estate planning. Speaking to more than 100 groups nationally each year, he is known …