The beneficiaries want their money. You want to be done. So you write the checks. Then the final income tax bill arrives, or a hospital bill nobody knew about, and the trust account is empty. Now you have to ask your siblings to give money back. Some will. Some won’t. As trustee, you may be… Continue reading Before You Pay the Beneficiaries, Hold Back a Reserve
Category: Estate and Trust
Washington Estate Tax in 2026: The Date of Death Decides
Ask three people what Washington’s estate tax exclusion is and you may get three answers. They could all be right. The answer depends on one fact: the date of death. The Legislature changed the rules in 2025 and again in March 2026. That leaves four sets of numbers, according to the Department of Revenue’s estate… Continue reading Washington Estate Tax in 2026: The Date of Death Decides