An interesting article in today’s NY Times authored by Paul Sullivan.  He writes, “So the question for taxpayers now is:  What happens once Mr. Biden can begin enacting changes in tax policy?  The biggest long-term change involves the estate tax.”  Sullivan goes on to discuss the possible loss of step-up in basis, “A Biden administration may move to change this for logical and revenue reasons.  Imagine trying to determine the capital gains from AT&T stock that your grandmother bought in 1943 when record-keeping was done with a pencil and paper.  Today, cost-basis information can be retrieved in seconds.”  He goes on to discuss some of the inherent problems in this approach.

A different approach could be adjustment to current estate tax exemptions and rates.  “With Democrats controlling the legislative and executive branches, there is concern that the exemption level could drop to $5 million or even $3.5 million…For the wealthiest in the country, the bigger concern is the rate itself.  It’s now at 40%, but it was as high as 55% in 2001.”

To read the full article, click here.