Deeds and Discounts: Estate Planning With Real Estate

To make use of the current record high federal gift tax exemption amount,¹ estate planners may find that many ultra-high-net-worth clients are considering lifetime gifts of illiquid assets, such as real estate. A gift of real estate can be an attractive proposition because it may: (1) allow a client to engage in wealth transfer tax planning while retaining liquid assets to cover expected living expenses; (2) provide an opportunity for attractive valuation discounts; (3)