When it was approved by voters in 1978, Proposition 13 brought lower real property taxes for owners of residential, commercial and farm properties throughout California. It accomplished this through a rollback of property values to 1976 levels and a limit on annual increases in property taxes. A recent effort in the legislature to push forward...Read More

Supporting a favorite charity or philanthropic organization during your lifetime and/or after your death can be accomplished in several ways. A previous article discussed the benefits of private foundations and donor-advised funds. Determining the best strategy for charitable giving that takes into account estate tax considerations should begin with a consultation with your estate planning...Read More

Taxation of irrevocable trusts has always been complicated, but in recent years the level of complication has increased due to state tax laws being passed that attempt to bring trusts within a state’s tax reach that previously would not have been subject to such tax.  Trusts generate more than $120 billion in earnings every year,...Read More

The generosity of Americans is borne out by the more than $410 billion they donate annually to charitable causes and organizations. Most of those donations, about 70 percent of them, come from individual donors. People have their individual reasons for making charitable donations, but one of them might be reducing the amount of taxes payable...Read More