patrick.net

MtViewRenter Says:

> We’re getting into estate planning here and I’m not an
> expert in this area. So what I’m about to say might
> not be entirely accurate.
> I think the main reason so few actually end up paying
> the “death tax” is a combination of good estate planning
> and favorable asset transfer laws.

Most Americans don’t pay the “death tax” because their net worth never comes even close to the exemption.

The majority of Americans that actually pay the tax have estates that are just above the exemption and can often get below the cap with some gifting or other simple tax strategies.

A very small number of Americans with huge estates (who pay tax attorneys more than the typical American family takes home every year) are able to avoid the tax using more complex tax strategies.

P.S. I like to call it the death tax since it really is a tax after death where the government takes half of every penny (over the exemption) that you were able to save with the government already taking over half of every penny that most people make in taxes and fess including, but not limited to: federal income taxes, state income taxes, social security taxes, gas taxes, phone taxes, road taxes, hotel taxes, sales taxes, liquor taxes, tobacco taxes, motor vehicle taxes, drivers license fee, fishing license fee, hunting license fee, brokers license fee, park fees, road fees, tire disposal fees, bridge tolls…

FAB,

Once you get over the hurdle of income tax and SSI/Medicare contributions, the take is significantly smaller. For the extremely wealthy, who don't pay much income taxes, quite a bit will be in long term capital gains, taxed at a much lower rate than 50%.

MtView,

The $12K gift allowance is something that you do not have to be wealthy to take advantage of. My husband and I started to do this for a fund when our first was born. My brother started it when his kids were first born as well. It just seems like a smart way to start building up money for a child.

New thread : life and times of Anna Nicole Smith :lol:

Springtime for Saddam?

SFWoman,

No, you don't have to be wealthy. Was just illustrating the point that it's another tool used for estate planning.

We've been putting some money away for our son since he was born, but it's not going to be anywhere close to the max of $24k a year. On the other hand, if one's finances is capable of doing the max, that person has to be pretty darn well off.

Peter P Says:

> Yes, you definitely want at least 1 gig of RAM.
> What kind of memory stick do you have?

I’ve got 4gig SD cards in my Treo and Digital camera (that I got for under $100 and you can now get on eBay for under $50) since the first version of Windows came out the rule has been buy as much RAM as you can afford that will fit in the computer for best performance (I think I paid $600 less than 12 years ago to upgrade a Toshiba laptop from 4 mb to 8 mb, that is mb not gb)…

> New thread : life and times of Anna Nicole Smith

Then SP Says:

> Please, in the name of allah, No.

With Anna Nichole dead and a new guy every day claiming to be the father of her child the media has totally forgot about the Gavin Newsom.

I never did understand the fascination with Ana Nichole, but then again I’ve always been attracted to girls like the one on the link below (I was at the party, but I’m not in any of the photos and I was just reminded how hot this brunette was when I bought up the link late last week and was clicking through it to show someone a photo of the NY Old Money WASP that a friend of ours from undergrad married a couple years ago):

http://www.manhattan.smugmug.com/gallery/1276841#59982614