Assignment 4: Tax-Planning Client Letter on Irrevocable Trusts, Gift Tax, and Estate Tax

Due Week 10 and worth 150 points

Suppose you are a CPA, and your client has requested advice regarding establishing an irrevocable trust for his two (2) grandchildren. He wants the income from the trust paid to the children for 20 years and the principal distributed to the children at the end of 20 years.

Use the Internet and Strayer databases to research the rules regarding irrevocable trusts, gift tax, and estate tax. Be sure to use the six (6) step tax research process in Chapter 1 and demonstrated in Appendix A of your textbook as a guide for your written response.

Write a one to two (1-2) page letter in which you:

1. Analyze the effect of an irrevocable trust on the gift tax and future estate taxes.
2. Suggest other significant alternatives that the client could use both to reduce estate tax and to maximize potential advantages of the payment of gift taxes on transfers of property.
3. Use the six (6) step tax research process, located in Chapter 1 and demonstrated in Appendix A of the textbook, to record your research for communications to the client.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the students name, the professors name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Prepare client, internal, and administrative documents that appropriately convey the results of tax research and planning.
• Create an approach to tax research that results in credible and current resources.
• Analyze tax issues regarding the gift tax and the estate tax.
• Analyze tax issues regarding trusts and estates.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in organizational tax research and planning.
• Write clearly and concisely about organizational tax research and planning using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Points: 150	Assignment 4: Tax-Planning Client Letter on Irrevocable Trusts, Gift Tax, and Estate Tax
Criteria	Unacceptable Below 70% F	Fair 70-79% C	Proficient 80-89% B	Exemplary 90-100% A
1. Analyze the effect of an irrevocable trust on the gift tax and future estate taxes. Weight: 35%	Did not submit or incompletelyanalyzed the effect of an irrevocable trust on the gift tax and future estate taxes.	Partially analyzed the effect of an irrevocable trust on the gift tax and future estate taxes.	Satisfactorily analyzed the effect of an irrevocable trust on the gift tax and future estate taxes.	Thoroughly analyzed the effect of an irrevocable trust on the gift tax and future estate taxes.
2. Suggest other significant alternatives that the client could use both to reduce estate tax and to maximize potential advantages of the payment of gift taxes on transfers of property. Weight: 35%	Did not submit or incompletelysuggested other significant alternatives that the client could use both to reduce estate tax and to maximize potential advantages of the payment of gift taxes on transfers of property.	Partially suggested other significant alternatives that the client could use both to reduce estate tax and to maximize potential advantages of the payment of gift taxes on transfers of property.	Satisfactorily suggested other significant alternatives that the client could use both to reduce estate tax and to maximize potential advantages of the payment of gift taxes on transfers of property.	Thoroughly suggested other significant alternatives that the client could use both to reduce estate tax and to maximize potential advantages of the payment of gift taxes on transfers of property.
3. Use the six (6) step tax research process, located in Chapter 1 and demonstrated in Appendix A of the textbook, to record your research for communications to the client. Weight: 10%	Did not submit or incompletelyused the six (6) step tax research process, located in Chapter 1 and demonstrated in Appendix A of the textbook, to record your research for communications to the client.	Partially used the six (6) step tax research process, located in Chapter 1 and demonstrated in Appendix A of the textbook, to record your research for communications to the client.	Satisfactorily used the six (6) step tax research process, located in Chapter 1 and demonstrated in Appendix A of the textbook, to record your research for communications to the client.	Thoroughly used the six (6) step tax research process, located in Chapter 1 and demonstrated in Appendix A of the textbook, to record your research for communications to the client.
4. Writing Mechanics, Grammar, and Formatting Weight: 5%	Serious and persistent errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.	Partially free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.	Mostly free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.	Error free or almost error free grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
5. Appropriate use of APA in-text citations and reference section Weight: 5%	Lack of in-text citations and / or lack of reference section.	In-text citations and references are provided, but they are only partially formatted correctly in APA style.	Most in-text citations and references are provided, and they are generally formatted correctly in APA style.	In-text citations and references are error free or almost error free and consistently formatted correctly in APA style.
6. Information Literacy/Integration of Sources Weight: 5%	Serious errors in the integration of sources, such as intentional or accidental plagiarism, or failure to use in-text citations.	Sources are partially integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.	Sources are mostly integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.	Sources are consistently integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.
7. Clarity and Coherence of Writing Weight: 5%	Information is confusing to the reader and fails to include reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.	Information is partially clear with minimal reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.	Information is mostly clear and generally supported with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.	Information is provided in a clear, coherent, and consistent manner with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.