Author, attorney and CPA.
When someone you love dies, you get two jobs at once. You grieve, and you settle their affairs. I write for people doing both.
I’m Ed Barton. I practice estate, trust and tax law in Anacortes, Washington. I’m also a Washington CPA, an Army veteran and a seminarian in the Episcopal Church. My books and videos explain the paperwork, the taxes and the faith questions in plain English.
See the books · Watch the videos
Newest book
Washington Estate Tax for Families: What Changed in 2026 and What to Do About It
Washington changed its estate tax twice in twelve months. For deaths from July 1 through December 31, 2026, the exclusion is $3,000,000 and the rates run from 10% to 20%. This book walks you through what that means for your family, with worked examples and a checklist for the year after a death.
Kindle · Paperback · Hardcover
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Newest video
Sibling Is Trustee and Won’t Share? Your Beneficiary Rights. When your right to information starts under Washington law, what the trustee has to send you, and how to ask without starting a war. All videos
Recent writing
- Book Review: The Golden Bough, by James George Frazer
Frazer’s sprawling survey of magic, ritual and religion is outdated as anthropology but still worth reading. His line between magic and faith stayed with me. - Book Review: The Ultimate Sales Letter, by Dan S. KennedyA step-by-step method for sales letters that get read. The research and objection chapters are the strongest parts.
- Book Review: Dark Night of the Soul, by John of the CrossSaint John of the Cross on dryness in prayer. The darkness, he says, is often God’s light too bright for us. A classic for anyone who used to feel God.
Faith
This fall I taught a four-week series at Christ Episcopal Church called Last Things: Preparing for a Christian Death. The notes, readings and questions from it live here. Read Last Things
Looking for legal or tax help?
I don’t take legal, tax or consulting work through this site. Washington residents can contact Centerbridge Law Group, PLLC about estate planning, trusts, probate and tax matters.
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Legal and tax services are offered only through Centerbridge Law Group, PLLC, 1610 Commercial Avenue, Suite 203, Anacortes, Washington 98221. See Disclosures.