Estate Tax Jackpot

The death of the 74th richest person in the world occurred on March 28th. Dan Duncan’s estate has been valued at $9 billion. Had Mr. Duncan passed away in 2009, theoretically, his estate could have generated $4 billion in estate taxes for the IRS. However, with the way the law works, in 2010, there is no estate tax.

Mr. Duncan is the first billionaire to pass away in this year without an estate tax. The Trust Advisor Blog has a great article on the topic. The bottom line is that a revenue strapped Congress may follow through on their 2009 threats of passing a retroactive tax bill that would reinstate the estate tax (which comes back in full force in 2011).

You can read the Trust Advisor Blog at: Billionaire’s Heirs First to Win 2010 Estate Tax Jackpot.