A decedent's gross estate includes most assets and property they owned or had an interest in at death, used to calculate estate taxes. Some assets, however, may be excluded, affecting the estate's ...

The Tax Court held that the value of checks written prior to but paid after a decedent’s date of death were includible in the decedent’s gross estate. Facts: William E. DeMuth Jr. was domiciled in ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Ashley L. Case, J.D., LL.M., writes about tax and estate planning. The death of a loved one is a deeply emotional time, but it ...

In Estate of Bernard J. Macelhenny, Jr. v. Commissioner, the Tax Court ruled on two separate but related issues: (1) whether the estate may properly deduct the value of two consent judgments entered ...

When someone dies with both valuable property and unpaid bills, the law does not simply hand the keys to the nearest friend. Real estate, bank accounts and credit card balances all fall into a legal ...

Get Morningstar's essential reading for financial professionals in Advisor Digest. This month and next, I'll offer a detailed look at the issues and obligations that executors face when retirement ...

Losing a loved one is never easy — and if you’ve been named executor of their will, you’re also stepping into a big responsibility. An executor is the person legally appointed to settle the deceased’s ...

When retirement benefits are payable to a decedent’s estate, what unique obligations and opportunities does the executor of the estate have with respect to those benefits? Last month, we looked at the ...