Estate & Trust Tax Services in Westchester

Estate tax planning

Good estate tax planning happens while you're alive. We project federal and New York estate exposure, plan lifetime gifts that use exemptions before they change, and structure asset ownership so the New York cliff doesn't take a bite the plan could have avoided.

• Federal and New York State estate tax projections
• Lifetime gifting strategies and annual-exclusion programs
• New York cliff planning for estates near the state exemption
• Basis step-up planning for appreciated assets

Trust and estate income tax returns

Trusts and estates file their own income tax returns (Form 1041) under compressed brackets that hit the top federal rate at a few thousand dollars of retained income. We prepare the fiduciary returns, plan distributions to move income to beneficiaries in lower brackets, and keep the trust's calendar of elections and deadlines.

• Form 1041 fiduciary income tax returns (federal and NY)
• Distribution planning and beneficiary K-1s
• 65-day election and other post-year-end opportunities
• Final returns for decedents and estate closings

Gift tax returns

Gifts above the annual exclusion require a Form 709 — and even exempt gifts are often worth reporting to start the statute of limitations. We prepare gift tax returns, track lifetime exemption use across years, and coordinate valuations for gifts of business interests or real estate.

Working with executors and trustees

Serving as an executor or trustee is a job most people do exactly once, under deadlines they've never heard of. We guide fiduciaries through the tax side — the estate's returns, the decedent's final return, asset valuations, and the elections that can save the beneficiaries real money.

Frequently asked questions