The New England Accounting Advisor

The IRS recently issued proposed regulations eliminating important valuation discounts commonly used in gift and estate tax planning. If finalized as currently proposed, these changes could increase an individual’s gift and estate tax liabilities by more than 60 percent. The Obama administration has attempted to limit valuation discounts on family-owned businesses for several years but has been unable to impose these restrictions through legislation. Now the Treasury Department has decided to achieve this goal through the regulatory route. Taxpayers have a small window of opportunity to take action before these regulations are finalized and become effective, which we anticipate to be sometime in 2017.

The use of valuation discounts is an important tool for estate planning. Discounts are commonly claimed for lack of control (minority interest discount) and lack of marketability. Applying such discounts in the context of family-controlled entities has long been a point of contention for the IRS. Unsuccessful in attempts to restrict the use of valuation discounts through legislative changes, the Treasury Department is contemplating new regulations to accomplish this goal.