Tax Saving Estate Planning Strategies
It's not how much money you make, it's how much money you get to keep.
And if the Big Beautiful Bill passes as planned, keeping more of your hard earned money gets a massive upgrade—especially when it comes to transferring wealth to family.
Estate Tax Exemption Jumps to $15 Million
Remember when everyone was panicking about the estate tax exemption dropping back to $5-7 million in 2026?
That's dead.
The new bill would increase the exemption to $15 million per person ($30 million for married couples), effective after December 31, 2025.
This isn't just an extension—it's an enhancement.
The Timeline That Matters
The Senate is aiming to pass this through budget reconciliation. If they miss that window, this gets a lot more complicated.
But here's the thing: even if you're nowhere near estate tax territory today, your growing business could push you there faster than you think.
Estate planning for the most part begins at a 10-20MM and growing net worth. But if you're building something real, that number can sneak up on you.
Here's How Smart Money Plays This
1. Annual Gifts Are Still Your First Move
Even with the higher exemption, annual exclusion gifts remain the most efficient wealth transfer tool. At $19,000 per person per year for 2025, these gifts require no forms, no fuss—just systematic wealth transfer that compounds over time.
If you've got three kids and you're married, that's over six figures moving out of your estate annually without touching your lifetime exemption.
2. Lock In Asset Values While They're Low
With a $15 million exemption, strategies like GRATs (Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts) and sales to defective grantor trusts become the perfect weapons for wealth transfer.
Example: Transfer $10 million of real estate or business interests today that grow to $30 million over 20 years. You've just moved $20 million of appreciation completely outside your taxable estate.
With interest rates where they are, the math on these strategies is incredible.
3. Family Limited Partnerships Are Back in Play
Despite years of IRS threats, valuation discounts are still alive. Transfer $1 million worth of assets into an FLP, and with proper structuring, you might only use $700,000 of your exemption.
Now multiply that efficiency by the new $15 million limit.
The Hidden Gotcha That Trips Everyone Up
Your gift exemption and estate tax exemption are THE SAME BUCKET. Every dollar you gift during your lifetime reduces what you can pass tax-free at death.
But here's where people mess up: they wait too long.
If you've got appreciating assets—real estate, a growing business, crypto—it often makes sense to gift them now and let the appreciation happen outside your estate.
The Compliance Reality
Look, proper estate planning isn't cheap. Between legal fees, appraisals, and ongoing compliance, you're looking at real costs.
But when the alternative is paying 40% of everything over the exemption to the IRS, the ROI is obvious.
Good estate planning can save you millions in your life and death, through death tax savings and asset protection. Beyond that, trusts and family partnerships combined with a will ensure your wishes are carried out.
You maintain control and gain protection. That's the whole game.
Your Next Moves
- Start gifting sooner rather than later: Don't wait. Whether it's annual exclusion gifts or using your lifetime exemption on appreciating assets, time in the market beats timing the market.
- Get your estate plan reviewed: With the exemption jumping to $15 million, your old plan might be leaving millions on the table. Find a board-certified estate attorney who gets it.
- Run the numbers on advanced strategies: GRATs, family partnerships, and dynasty trusts hit different with a $15 million exemption. The setup costs that seemed expensive at $12 million look like rounding errors at $15 million.
Get the foundation right first. Then we can talk about the fun stuff.
Find Your Team NOW
You need:
- A qualified CPA who understands business and estate planning
- A board-certified estate planning attorney
- A CFP for the holistic view
This isn't TurboTax territory. And with these new limits, the cost of bad planning just went way up.
Remember: We currently have the largest estate exemption we'll likely ever see in modern estate tax. If your estate is growing and you haven't done any planning, you have a (very good) problem that isn't getting better on its own.
Don't wait to figure this out. The best planning happens when you have time to think, not when you're racing against a deadline.
As always, it's not just about the money you save—it's about making sure your wishes are carried out and your family is protected.