Congress and President Quickly Adopt Payroll Extension

Congress has reached a two-month agreement on a fully offset extension of the payroll tax holiday without including any harmful tax revenue measures. Read the rest of this estate tax article.

Congress Seeks Offset for Payroll Tax Relief

Leaders of both parties are preparing outlines of legislation to extend or provide additional payroll tax relief, neither of which are expected to impact estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer (GST) taxes. Read the rest of this article...

After the Joint Committee

As expected, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction announced that they would not reach an agreement by the November 23 deadline. Read the rest of this estate tax article.

Parties Exchange Rhetoric on Joint Committee and Congressman Introduces Harmful Estate Tax Bill

It appears little progress has been made within the Joint Committee toward a deficit reduction deal. Read the rest of this article...

President Lays Out Deficit Reduction Plan

The debate over tax policy as an aspect of deficit reduction is in full swing... Read the rest of this estate tax article.

President Releases American Jobs Act

On September 12 the Administration presented the American Jobs Act to Congress, a mixture of temporary spending and tax relief designed to stimulate job growth. Read the rest of this article...

New Challenges on Exemption

On September 8, the President addressed a joint session of Congress to lay out his $447 billion plan intended to spur job growth... Read the rest of this estate tax article.

President Addresses Estate Tax on Bus Tour

At the final stop of his economic bus tour in Alpha, Illinois, the President fielded a question on August 17 from a family farmer concerned about the potential return of a higher estate tax in 2013. Read the rest of this article...

Partisan Reactions to S&P Downgrade Foreshadow Coming Tax Debate

Following S&P’s downgrading of the nation’s credit rating, the reactions of party leaders reflected their continuing disagreement on whether tax increases should be part of the nation’s approach to deficit reduction. Read the rest of this article...

Historic Debt Deal and Its Potential Impact on Tax Reform

The House and Senate have passed and the President has signed the Budget Control Act, which will significantly alter the context in which deficit reduction, spending restraint and tax reform will be fought out during the 112th Congress... Read the rest of this estate tax article.

Leaders Address Nation as Congress Readies Competing Plans

With the world watching and the August 2 deadline approaching, the debt limit/deficit reduction debate headed into uncharted territory on July 25 with contrasting addresses to the nation by President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). Read the rest of this article...

House and Senate Pursuing Separate Strategies on Deficit and Debt Limit

While a bipartisan deal on the debt limit and deficit reduction remains elusive and Asian stock markets near their open, leaders of the House and Senate have begun to prepare legislation that may or may not be agreeable to the other chamber. Read the rest of this estate tax article...

Debt Fight Enters Critical Week

As the August 2 debt limit deadline approaches, it looks increasingly unlikely that tax reform in general (and estate tax in particular) will be significantly affected. Read the rest of this article...

Update on Tax Increases Envisioned By Administration

As the President and Republican congressional leaders continue to dispute the inclusion of tax increases as part of a deficit reduction/debt limit extension package, as of July 4 it does not appear that harmful changes to estate tax policy are in the mix. Read the rest of this estate tax article...

President Steps Up Call for Tax Increases as Part of Deficit Reduction

On June 29, President Obama took his case that any debt limit extension should include tax increases directly to the people. Read the rest of this article...

Deficit Reduction Talks Take Detour

Last week Republican leaders walked out of the deficit reduction negotiations they had been participating in with Vice President Biden and Democratic lawmakers. Read the rest of this estate tax article...

Update on Deficit Reduction and Tax Policy

Events continue to evolve in Washington that may have an impact on the estate tax debate. Read the rest of this estate tax article...

Berkley Introduced Bill Solidifying Estate Tax Gains

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV) introduced legislation making the estate tax relief we won in the 2010 Tax Act permanent. Read the rest of this estate tax article...

Bipartisan Estate Tax Repeal Bill Introduced

Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the House to repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer (GST) taxes and retain step-up-in-basis. Read the rest of this estate tax article...

Senate Rejects Limits on GRATs

During consideration of the FAA transportation and safety bill on February 2, Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) offered an amendment that included an offset that would place new restrictions on grantor-retained annuity trusts (GRATs). Read the rest of this estate tax article...

Major Legislative Victory for Families! Estate Tax Relief on the Way!

Despite the long odds and the challenging political environment we are pleased to report that we have secured the lowest estate tax rate applied in 80 years. On December 16 the House defeated the Pomeroy amendment and sent to the President bipartisan tax reform legislation that provides two years of significant estate tax relief: Read more...

Jeff Cook Debates the Estate Tax on CNBC

Jeff Cook Debates the Estate Tax on CNBC

Status of Estate Tax Repeal (April 2009)

Congress Daily: Grassley Makes Case for Estate Tax Reform in 2009

Chart on State Estate Taxes