InterActive Legal Academy Estate Planning Tax Series
October 12 @ 8:00 am – November 6 @ 5:00 pm EDT
InterActive Legal Academy
Estate Planning Tax Series
InterActive Legal Academy is education by lawyers for lawyers. The Estate Planning Tax Series is a practical introduction to tax issues relevant to estate planners and how to draft documents that can minimize overall taxation.
October 12 โ November 6, 2026
1:00โ2:00 PM ET
Tues & Thurs: Live Online Instruction
Fri: Drafting Workshops Q&A
What You’ll Learn
- How the estate, gift, income, and GST taxes each bear on an estate plan โ and which ones actually matter for a given client
- Using the estate tax exemption: portability, formula gift, disclaimer, and Clayton planning
- The gift tax annual exclusion, the unified exemption, and the benefits of lifetime gifting
- Trust provisions that carry tax consequences
- Who pays the income tax on inherited property and on property placed in trust
- Tax issues unique to life insurance, retirement plans, family businesses, and hard-to-value assets
- GST tax, dynasty trusts, and reverse QTIP planning
- An introduction to advanced strategies: GRATs, QPRTs, FLPs and LLCs, and charitable planning with CRTs and CLTs
- And moreโreinforced with case studies, sample drafting language, and live Q&A
Course Syllabus
Week #1 – October 12-16
| Session Name | Faculty | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Optional Kick-off Meeting (October 12, 2026; 1pm ET) | Academy Faculty | Administrative meeting in advance of the official program: โข Academy overview and glossary โข A high-level review of what the sessions assume you already know: drafting a revocable trust or Will when taxes are not an issue, drafting an irrevocable trust โข Check connections and answer questions |
| Introduction to the Taxes and Tax Issues Related to Estate Planning (October 13, 2026; 1pm ET) | Academy Faculty | An overview of the taxes that arise in estate planning: โข Transfer taxes: Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Transfer tax โข Income tax โข Assets with specific tax issues โข A preview of advanced tax planning strategies |
| Estate Taxation and Testamentary Estate Tax Planning (October 15, 2026; 1pm ET) | Academy Faculty | How the estate tax works and the traditional ways to minimize it in testamentary documents: โข What is taxed โข Federal and state estate tax exemptions โข The federal estate tax marital deduction โข Using the exemption: portability, formula gifts, disclaimer plans, and Clayton QTIP plans โข Tax apportionment |
| Week 1 Workshop (October 16, 2026; 1pm ET) | Academy Faculty | Week 1 concept review: โข Reviewing an estate tax return to see how property is listed and what is included โข Drafting examples for โA/B planning:โ formula, disclaimer, and Clayton โข Q&A |
Week #2 – October 19-23
| Session Name | Faculty | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gift Taxation and Lifetime Gifting (October 20, 2026; 1pm ET) | Academy Faculty | How the gift tax works, and why lifetime gifting is essentially lifetime estate tax planning: โข What is taxed, and why โข The gift tax annual exclusion โข The unified gift and estate tax exemption โข The estate tax benefit of lifetime gifts โข Carryover basis versus basis adjusted at death |
| Trust Provisions with Tax Implications (October 22, 2026; 1pm ET) | Academy Faculty | Tax consequences of estate planning document provisions: โข Crummey powers and the gift tax โข Powers of appointment: estate exclusion versus inclusion โข Grantor trust powers โข The difference between grantor trust status and estate inclusion |
| Week 2 Workshop (October 23, 2026; 1pm ET) | Academy Faculty | Week 2 concept review: โข Reviewing a gift tax return โข Sample Crummey provisions, powers of appointment, and grantor trust powers โข Q&A |
Week #3 – October 26-30
| Session Name | Faculty | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Income Tax Issues Estate Planners Must Address (October 27, 2026; 1pm ET) | Academy Faculty | Who pays the income tax โ for both lifetime gifts and inherited property: โข Income tax on inherited property, including income in respect of a decedent โข Income tax on lifetime gifts in trust โข Basis |
| Tax Issues and Options for Specific Assets (October 29, 2026; 1pm ET) | Academy Faculty | Unique tax issues and planning options for particular assets: โข Life insurance, including ILITs โข Estate and gift tax options for specific assets: alternate valuation date, section 6166, special use valuation, and valuation discounts โข Retirement plans and IRAs |
| Week 3 Workshop (October 30, 2026; 1pm ET) | Academy Faculty | Week 3 concept review: โข Sample grantor trust powers, powers to trigger estate inclusion, ILIT language, and accumulation and conduit trust provisions โข Q&A |
Week #4 – November 2-6
| Session Name | Faculty | Description |
|---|---|---|
| GST Tax and Introduction to Advanced Tax Planning Strategies (November 3, 2026; 1pm ET) | Academy Faculty | The generation-skipping transfer tax, and a first look at advanced planning: โข The GST tax and how it works โข Using the GST exemption: dynasty trusts and reverse QTIP trusts โข Advanced valuation strategies: FLPs and LLCs โข Advanced lifetime trust planning: GRATs, QPRTs, and irrevocable grantor trusts โข Charitable planning strategies: CRTs and CLTs |
| Putting it All Together (November 5, 2026; 1pm ET) | Academy Faculty | How to evaluate the available strategies for a particular client: โข Using the estate tax exemption: portability versus other options โข When to consider lifetime gifts โข Revisiting the importance of trust provisions โข Donโt forget about non-probate assets โข Tax apportionment โข When to think about advanced strategies โข Tax reporting: filing requirements, documentation, and basis consistency |
| Week 4 Workshop (November 6, 2026; 1pm ET); | Academy Faculty | Week 4 concept review: โข Reverse QTIP and dynasty trust sample language โข Hypotheticals that illustrate putting it all together โข Q&A |
Faculty
Learn directly from respected practitioners and thought leaders in estate planning.
Jonathan G. Blattmachr, JD
Editor in Chief and Co-Founder
InterActive Legal
Teresa L. Bush, Esq.
Director of Education and Support Services
InterActive Legal
Elizabeth (Beth) Q. Boehmcke, Esq.
Advisor Emeritus
InterActive Legal
Michael L. Graham, Esq.
Chairman and Co-Founder
InterActive Legal
Vanessa L. Kanaga, Esq.
InterActive Legal Advisor
Letha Sgritta McDowell, CELA
InterActive Legal Advisor
Deirdre Wheatley-Liss, Esq.
InterActive Legal Advisor
Tuition
Non-Subscriber: $699**
Subscriber: $399
Special Pricing for Law Students (proof required)
Elder Law College, Million Dollar Solution, and Personal Family Lawyer members receive a tuition discount.
Contact your organization for details.
**Non-subscribers who attend may apply a $300 tuition credit toward a new InterActive Legal subscription
(if purchased within 60 days of the series end).
*CLE Approved
The Estate Planning Tax Series is approved for 12 hours of Florida CLE credit.
Certificates of attendance are provided.
Attendees outside Florida may apply for credit with their own state bar.
CLE credit may be available only for sessions attended live.
Recording Availability
Recordings of each session will be available to registrants via the GoToWebinar Virtual Event Page link in your confirmation email. Recordings and handouts will remain available for 30 days following the final session of the series. CLE credit may only be available for sessions attended live, depending on state rules.
Want to Learn More about InterActive Legal Academy?
| Our faculty and support staff will be happy to help you with inquiries, registration, information on future sessions, and questions about the material presented in the most recent sessions. Email academy@wp-staging.interactivelegal.com Support Hours are 8:30am โ 5:30pm ET Monday through Friday, except holidays |
