In this video, our Chicago estate tax attorneys takes the time to explain when to pay estate taxes on: inheritance taxes, state and federal estate taxes, and inherited retirement accounts. An inheritance tax is an amount of money due from a beneficiary who receives money or property from the estate of a deceased person. Inheritance taxes are due prior to receiving the inheritance check, so the amount received will already be reduced by the taxes owed. Federal tax exemption for a decedent’s estate depends on the exemption amount for the year of death. When it comes to state tax exemption, only a few states collect them, including Illinois. Similar to federal tax exemption, state tax exemption also depends on the exemption amount for the year of death. If an individual inherits a traditional IRA or 401k, he or she will have to include all distributions taken out in his or her ordinary federal income, and possibly state income, of that year. Inherited retirement assets are not taxable until they are distributed.

‍

In this video, our Chicago estate tax attorneys go into depth on what estate tax is and who has to pay these taxes. Estates are not always subject to estate tax. In Illinois, if your estate is under 4 million dollars you are not subject to state tax returns. If you do have more than 4 million dollars in your estate, then taxes on your estate are due nine months after death. The executor is the one responsible for paying for estate taxes

In this video, our Chicago estate tax attorneys explain how to avoid estate tax in a revocable living trust. Owning property in a revocable living trust removes that property from your estate for the purpose of probate, but it does not remove the property from your estate for the purpose of estate tax. Your estate for the purpose of estate tax includes property owned by a revocable living trusts, retirement accounts, and death benefits of life insurance policies that you own. Revocable Living Trusts can be used to allow married couples to take advantage of one another’s estate tax exemptions, essentially raising the threshold at which the couple has to worry about Illinois estate tax from $4 million to $8 million in assets.