Dan Celia
Financial Issues
January-February 2018 – Q: As we head into a new year, should we be concerned about taxes changing, and is there anything we should do to prepare?
A: I know there has been a lot of talk about tax reform. However, I don’t think any of it is going to have a negative impact on the majority of people but, rather, will probably have a slightly positive effect.
There is nothing for which you specifically need to prepare unless you are nearing retirement and planning your estate. If things get passed the way we think they will, then estate tax will no longer be an issue. So, for those who have made plans to prepare their estate specifically to avoid taxes, this might become unnecessary and you can, therefore, save some legal fees by not being too concerned about the necessity of a trust.
We should always be somewhat concerned about taxes in our preparations, but I really don't believe that 2018 is going to be much different than 2017. Continue your giving, be generous, and, as always, be prudent in any of your investment strategies.
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Dan Celia has been in financial management for more than 30 years. He works closely with AFA Foundation and can be heard six days a week on AFR Talk (afr.net).
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