Brandon Smith, J.D., LL.M. & Kristi Mathisen I Laird Norton Wetherby
Headlines abound about the looming changes if the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is allowed to sunset in 2026 as currently scheduled. Income tax rates and brackets, what deductions are (and aren’t) allowed, and gifting limits that can have a significant impact on your estate planning all stand to look quite different than they have over the past several years. We discuss what the changes could look like, how they might affect you, and what smart planning might look like on the other side of this sunset.
Participant will be able to: Understand the impact of the TCJA sunset for Income Tax Planning and Estate Planning. Understand the nuanced benefits and burdens of a post-TCJA world for income tax filing and planning. Understand how estate planning will be impacted and the considerations of gifting before 2026.
About the speakers
Brandon Smith serves as the Director of Estate Planning for LNW. His role there is twofold: to help clients understand their prior decisions and current options relating to estate planning and to educate the internal team to be even more comfortable with the world of trusts and estates. Brandon practiced law in both Pennsylvania and California before moving in house to the Advanced Planning Group at UBS Financial Services and the Director of Estate Planning role at Wetherby Asset Management.
Kristi Mathisen serves as a technical resource for LNW wealth managers and analysts, helping to develop protocols for identifying appropriate tax and financial strategies for the benefit of clients, including guidance on philanthropic strategies and trusts and estate planning. An important aspect of Kristi’s work is monitoring developments in tax and finance law at the federal and state levels to provide LNW colleagues and clients with proactive analysis and insights. Prior to LNW and predecessor firm Laird Norton Wealth Management, Kristi was co-director of the tax practice at Bader Martin P.S. for 16 years. Before that, she was a member of the tax staff at Laventhol and Horwath.