New Rates, New Exemptions, New Gifting Opportunities

On Dec. 17, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 (the Act). Among other things, the Act makes changes in the tax law for calendar years 2011 and 2012 that: (1) increase the applicable exclusion amount for estate and gift taxes, (2) increase the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption, (3) reduce the top estate,