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Federal estate tax applies to the transfer of property at death. The estate of a person who died is liable for taxes on the estate.

The executor of the estate must file returns for the deceased person. This return is due nine (9) months after the date of death. (IRS can extend the time for any payments due up to 10 years)

IRS Tax Code Reads As Follows: “Most relatively simple estates (cash, publicly traded securities, small amounts of other, easily valued assets and no special deductions or elections or jointly held property) with a total value under $1,000,000 and a date of death in 2002 or 2003 and $1,500,000 and a date of death in 2004 or 2005 do not require the filing of an estate tax return”

The really good news is that Congress has approved a schedule that increases the amount an individual can leave to heirs tax-free to $2 million in 2006-2008 and to $3.5 million in 2009.

Life insurance proceeds are included in the estate only IF the proceeds are received by the estate in any way.

The gross estate includes the value of ALL property belonging to the deceased at the time of death.

The value of the property is based upon fair market value at the time of death.

The taxable estate is the gross estate minus the following:

* Administration and funeral expenses

* Claims against the estate

* All outstanding obligations

* Casualty and theft losses

* Marital deductions

* Charitable deductions

It is highly recommended that you contact a Tax professional to complete the Estate Taxes, especially if you do not have access to the decedent’s most recent tax returns. All assets are to be listed on the Estate Tax return. If you are not sure of the assets; IRS can help your tax professional with assets that have been reported on previous returns.

If the estate is large; by all means contact an attorney and or CPA or EA to help you sort through the paper work.

For more information visit the IRS web site at irs.gov and put in the keyword: estate taxes; or look up Form 706 or Publication 950.

Cassandra Ingraham is a Tax Accountant and Instructor for Basic Tax Classes in the San Francisco Bay Area. During the balance of the year she can be found at taxeswilltravel.com taxeswilltravel.com providing Formal Introductions to Lenders for Accounts Receivable Funding (Factoring) and Purchase Order Funding.

This is a common question that I get. People come to me and say. “Brad, I’m ready to get started investing but there are just so many options for places to invest. How do I choose the best county to start in?”

Maybe you’ve asked yourself or others the same question. To be quite honest, without a way of narrowing down the choices, it can be a daunting task. Luckily, if you’ve done your homework and you’ve learned everything you can about the business through our home study course – you can have success in any county you settle on.

Step #1 – Do you want to invest in tax liens or tax deeds?

By now you should know the difference between tax liens and tax deeds. You may have already made up your mind as to which you prefer. If you like the idea of owning real property and being creative with your sales then tax deeds are probably for you. If you would prefer to sit back and just wait for your guaranteed returns then tax liens are for you. You make the choice. Here is a tool that gives you a quick picture of all the states: wealthfusion.com/taxlienmap.html

Step #2 – Start with the states closest to you

It’s usually a good idea to start your investing close to home where you are most familiar. Pick 3 states closest to you and research the state rules for the auctions. When I say research, I mean that I want you to become the expert! Find out all the ins and outs of the state regulations and then pick the state that is most appealing to you.

Step #3 – Now call every county!

This is the fun part. You need to call every single county in the state and find out all the details of the auctions, when they hold their auctions, how many properties on the auction, how many people attended the auction etc…

Finally – Plan your trip and go!!

Brad Olstad
FreeTaxLienSecrets.com FreeTaxLienSecrets.com

BradOlstad.com BradOlstad.com

Most investors approach the stock market with the wrong frame of mind. But it’s not their fault. They’ve been conditioned to follow investment strategies that simply lead them in the wrong direction towards financial disaster.

So to prevent YOU from making the same mistakes, I’m going to lay out all the horrible investment strategies for you so that you don’t make the same mistakes as everyone else, and start on the correct path to wealth in the market.

You’re Not Going to Get Rich Quick

Nearly all beginning investors, along with a great number of “veterans,” have the mentality that they’re going to strike it rich. Well that’s great, that’s optimistic, but they expect it to happen right away. This is probably the worst investment strategy you can have…because it isn’t an investment strategy!

They’re assuming that they can beat the system and crack the code of the stock market that investors have been struggling to find for years! The tortoise is going to runs laps around the hare in this one, guys. What you need to do is develop an investment strategy that can work for you over the long run.

Don’t Gamble

The majority of investors don’t know when to buy low and sell high. This is one of the basics, but people continue to follow hot “investment strategies” and “trends” to strike it rich. In gambling, it’s not about the big take. Good poker players, for example, make the most with their good hands and lose the least with their bad ones. Here’s an investment strategy: play big, but play smart.

What’s So Great About Your “Insider” Tip?

So many investment strategies are abandoned for the “insider tip” that guarantees millions. But here are some questions to think about…How many people have heard this tip before you? Has the investment strategy been circulating for long? And who did you hear it from? If this insider information was given to you by a friend instead of a listed company director, you’re not going to have that great of an edge. If this hot and quick investment strategy has been around for a while…it’s not going to be very quick any more and has probably lost its magic.

The Suicidal “Set and Forget” Investment Strategy

Holding onto your stocks for extended periods of time is just going to bring trouble. Stashing stocks away so that they can grow and mature into some rewarding fund later in life is NOT going to bring profit. There are too many things that can go wrong, with the company or the actual market, to create beneficial odds for yourself by using this old investment strategy.

Do You Really Know When to Buy or Sell?

Not knowing what to do, being unsure of yourself, and investing blindly will kick you out of the market before you know what hit you. This is an information age. There are investment strategies, techniques, and dozens of ways to analyze EVERYTHING. Use them. Study up. Don’t just sit there with your eyes closed making the best guess you can come up with. Create an investment strategy that works for you. Stay on top of your game and more importantly…your money.

Joe Harris provides all the proven stock market investing tools you need to succeed today, including investments in the gold market. For details visit his site:
myeinvestor.com” target= “_blank” >Stock Investing