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| THE IMPACT OF THE NEWLY-ELECTED PRESIDENT ON ESTATE PLANNING, ETC. |
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| THE NEW PRESIDENT WAS ELECTED THIS YEAR |
| The new President of the United States was elected recently. President Biden may bring some changes to rules that may affect the area of Estate Planning. |
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| NEW ESTATE TAX RULES FOR 2021 |
| The IRS announced in October, 2020, that the Estate Tax Exemption Amount in 2021 will be 11.7 million dollars per individual. The Gift Tax will remain at $15,000 per individual in 2021. The Estate Tax Exemption Amount in 2021 for foreign individuals will remain at $60,000 per person. |
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| WHAT CHANGES MAY BE ON THE WAY? |
The new President may make the following changes with respect to estate-related taxes:
- Repeal of the Step-up in Basis which can lead to an increase in Capital Gains Tax.
(*Step-up in Basis means that when property passes to an heir upon a death, the heir succeeds to the property at the market value of the property at the time of death and not at its original value when it was first purchased. The heir can then sell the property with minimal or no Capital Gains Tax, but this rule can be repealed under the new President’s rule); and
- Decrease in the Estate Tax Exemption Amount.
(It is not clear as to what degree the new President will decide to reduce the Estate Tax Exemption Amount, but there is talk that it may be reduced to as low as $3.5 million, which was the Estate Tax Exemption Amount in 2009.
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| CONCLUSION |
| It may be good to consider any changes that may take place under the new presidential rule and talk to professionals to consider gifting, etc. that may help reduce your estate tax obligations. |
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| CLIENT COMMENTS |
| "Lawyers in the U.S. can be difficult to talk to at times, but I think people find it easy to talk to Ms. Hongo. I also like the fact that Ms. Hongo follows up with her clients on a timely basis." |
| Sachiko Trillo, Honolulu |
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| "Hongo Tsuji Tax & Consulting, our accounting firm, introduced me to Ms. Hongo. I consulted her with regards to estate planning, and I appreciated the fact that she took care of our documents in a timely manner." |
| K.A., Tokyo |
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| "I appreciated Ms. Hongo's professional expertise and the kind way in which she took care of our matter. I am truly happy that she helped us." |
| Mitsuko Seto, Osaka |
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| "Ms. Hongo not only prepared my trust, but also took care of legal matters involving my company. Her fee is reasonable and she follows up with you in a timely manner." |
| S. Suzuki, Company Owner |
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| "Ms. Hongo took care of our matter in a kind manner. We liked the fact that her office was located in Waikiki, near our home." |
| Sugiyama, Waikiki |
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| "I became a successor to 2 condominiums that my wife owned in Hawaii, after my wife passed away. Ms. Hongo took care of our probate matter in a short timeframe of 1 year. We feel very grateful to her." |
| Shuichi Sakamoto, Nasu |
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| "Our clients were very satisfied with Ms. Hongo's service because she was able to explain matters such as probate in an easy-to-understand manner. Ms. Hongo is someone we can rely on for any matter." |
| Noboru Ohhashi, List Sotheby's, Tokyo |
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| "Given that the U.S. real estate recording process and its pertaining laws differ from those of Japan, and it is difficult to learn about them in English, I appreciated Ms. Hongo being able to explain them to me in an understandable manner. I would like to seek her help in the future for other matters." |
| K. Iwasaki, Honolulu |
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| "Ms. Hongo helped me with the estate planning for my real estate in Hawaii. I was glad she was able to help me during her visit in Japan." |
| S.T., Kawasaki |
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| "It was our long-term goal to prepare a trust for our family. We are now able to take the next step in our lives, as Ms. Hongo applied her proficient bilingual skills to efficiently take care of our matter. We are very grateful for what she did for us." |
| A.P., Honolulu |
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| You're invited to call or email |
"If you have questions about estate planning/administration or captive insurance, please don't hesitate to call. I'll be glad to hear from you." – Yuka
Call (808) 237-9944 or email yuka.hongo12@gmail.com |
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| Meet Yuka Hongo, Esq. |
| Yuka Hongo is a respected estate planning attorney based in Honolulu, Hawaii. She has practiced law for 10 years and is fluent in both English and Japanese. |
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Practice Areas: Yuka represents clients in matters relating to estate planning/administration, including probate and the preparation of transfer on death deeds. In addition, she assists clients in forming captive insurance companies in the State of Hawaii, and performing the corporate maintenance work on an ongoing basis for such companies.
Education: In 2000, Yuka graduated from Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and East Asian Studies. In 2004, she graduated from Loyola Law School (Los Angeles, CA), where she earned her Juris Doctor Degree.
Court Admissions and Bar Memberships: Yuka is a member of the Hawaii, California, and District of Columbia Bar Associations. As such, she is admitted to practice in all State Courts in Hawaii, California and the District of Columbia. Yuka is a member of the International Law Section of the Hawaii State Bar.
Additional Qualifications: Yuka is a Certifying Acceptance Agent who can obtain the ITIN tax number for foreigners in the U.S. In addition, she is a life insurance agent and a licensed notary public in Hawaii. Also, Yuka is fully bilingual in Japanese and English and has in-depth experience including complicated translations working with both languages.
Multicultural Background: Yuka has experience living and working in both the U.S. and Japan and has a thorough understanding of both cultures and the people who live in both countries. In addition, she loves working with people from other multicultural backgrounds, and working on international matters.
Accounting Experience: Yuka worked for the Tokyo office of a prominent U.S. accounting firm for the past number of years and has extensive experience working with tax and legal issues that arise from cross-border transactions.
Educational Presentations: Yuka has presented seminars in Japan relating to Transfer on Death Deeds in Hawaii and trusts in the United States.
Residence & Interests: Yuka lives in Honolulu, Hawaii and is single. She enjoys scoping out new eateries and restaurants. |
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