Sadly, we have become all too familiar with identity theft:  someone else using your personal information without permission to commit fraud or other crimes.  While most of us are familiar with “traditional” identity theft, such as someone stealing from your bank account or taking out a loan in your name, not many of us consider tax-related identity theft.   Tax-related identity theft occurs when a thief uses a taxpayer’s identity to file a fraudulent tax return and eith...

Trusts, Taxes, and You   Many of my clients ask me about trusts and whether they should have one.  Yes, you should!  A trust protects your estate for your beneficiaries, reduces or eliminates taxes, provides for managing your estate should you be become incapable of doing so, avoids probate, avoids your will being contested, and protects the privacy of your estate (wills and probate are public proceedings.)    What is a trust?   A trust is a document that spe...