The U.S. Tax Court recently ruled that payments made to a corporate taxpayer’s three shareholders were dividends — not compensation for personal services rendered. The court’s reasoning also may be relevant in shareholder disputes and divorce cases when the parties disagree about whether compensation should be deducted from earnings when valuing a business interest. (Aspro, Inc….

Net gifts are gifts of money, property or assets for which the giver agrees to pay the gift tax — thus reducing the value of the gift for tax purposes. It can be appealing if you’ve exhausted your lifetime gift tax exemption. Another option is the “net, net gift,” which can enable you to finance your…

With the many changes in the estate tax in recent years, you could be confused about the need for estate planning. But estate planning was never just about reducing estate taxes. It is also about ensuring that your estate is distributed according to your wishes and that your heirs are properly provided for. At a minimum,…