THE TAX CUT AND JOBS ACT OF 2017: Highlights and Estate Planning Considerations

February 9, 2018Estate Planning, Recent NewsAngela Baker

THE TAX CUT AND JOBS ACT OF 2017: Highlights and Estate Planning Considerations Just three weeks after the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 was introduced, the final bill was passed on December 20, 2017, and signed into law on December 22nd. This comprehensive tax overhaul dramatically changes the rules governing the taxation of … Continue reading THE TAX CUT AND JOBS ACT OF 2017: Highlights and Estate Planning Considerations →

One Day Your Mind May Fade. At Least You’ll Have a Plan.

January 25, 2018Estate Planning, Recent NewsAngela Baker

Washington State Estate Tax Tables for 2018

January 10, 2018Estate Planning, Recent News, TaxAngela Baker

Sorry, but UBTI losses from IRA (still!) don’t “flow through” to your individual tax return

October 25, 2017Recent News, Self Directed IRA, TaxWarren Baker

As you have written about extensively on this blog and within other “self-directed IRA” related articles, one of the key legal matters that SDIRAs face is “unrelated business taxable income” (UBTI) – i.e., current tax from the SDIRA’s investments. Generically speaking, UBTI occurs in two situations: (1) the SDIRA earns income (directly or through a … Continue reading Sorry, but UBTI losses from IRA (still!) don’t “flow through” to your individual tax return →

They’re BACK! … GAO conducting a third study of SDIRA marketplace

September 28, 2017Recent News, Self Directed IRA, TaxGAO, nontraditional investments, self-directed IRAWarren Baker

Earlier this week, I had my third official interview with the Government Accountability Office (GAO). First, a little history…I was first contacted by the GAO in late 2013, for a study they had been asked to conduct ((by Senator Ron Wyden, D-OR) on so-called “Large Balance IRAs” (a real “eye of the beholder” term!). This … Continue reading They’re BACK! … GAO conducting a third study of SDIRA marketplace →

Quoted in Forbes piece on Roth IRA/LLC case (Block Developers, LLC v. Commissioner)

August 10, 2017Recent News, Self Directed IRA, TaxWarren Baker

There has been some rumbling (at least in my world) over the past few weeks regarding another Tax Court dealing with Roth IRAs and “excess contribution” issues. The case, Block Developers, LLC v. Commissioner, involves four family members (father, mother, two children) that formed Roth IRAs and attempted to shift income that would otherwise … Continue reading Quoted in Forbes piece on Roth IRA/LLC case (Block Developers, LLC v. Commissioner) →

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

July 27, 2017Recent News, Self Directed IRA, TaxWarren Baker

I am very pleased to announce that the article I co-authored with the esteemed Natalie B. Choate (“The Care and Feeding of Large IRAs” – Trusts & Estates magazine, December 2016) has won the Distinguished Author “Thought Leadership” Award. More information regarding this award can be found here: http://www.wealthmanagement.com/estate-planning/2017-trusts-estates-distinguished-authors-awards Might need to make an appearance in NYC … Continue reading Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! →

Trusts & Estates Thought Leadership Award Nominee Announcement

May 30, 2017Recent News, Self Directed IRA, Taxself-directed IRA, Trusts & EstatesWarren Baker

I am honored to announce that the article I co-authored with esteemed tax attorney Natalie B. Choate, entitled “The Care and Feeding of Large IRAs“, has been selected by Trusts & Estates magazine’s editorial team for a “Thought Leadership award”. A survey will be sent (via email) on Thursday, June 1st to all Trusts & … Continue reading Trusts & Estates Thought Leadership Award Nominee Announcement →

Rinse and repeat: will tax reform lead to more retirement account “revenue” tricks?

April 25, 2017Recent News401k, IRA, Roth conversion, tax reformWarren Baker

I was recently reading an article by Mark Miller (columnist for Reuters), entitled “Will Republicans fund tax cuts by tapping retirement piggy bank?” (see his complete article at the bottom of this post), and it reminded me of an article I wrote in 2010 related to in-plan 401k Roth conversions and the way in which … Continue reading Rinse and repeat: will tax reform lead to more retirement account “revenue” tricks? →

Quoted in Wall Street Journal article on UBTI (“Are Taxes Lurking in Your Tax-Free Retirement Account?”)

March 10, 2017Recent News, Self Directed IRAself-directed IRA, UBTI, Wall Street JournalWarren Baker

Many IRA investors are completely unaware that an IRA’s investments (whether made out of a “Traditional” or Roth IRA) can potentially produce currently taxable income to the IRA itself – resulting in both tax to the IRA, but also a special tax return filing (Form 990-T). In the “self-directed IRA” world, this is particularly a problem … Continue reading Quoted in Wall Street Journal article on UBTI (“Are Taxes Lurking in Your Tax-Free Retirement Account?”) →