The Nuts and Bolts of Estate
Planning Research
Matthew Novak
Stefanie Pearlman
University of Nebraska
Schmid Law Library
Print Resources
Federal
State
Specialized
Federal Resources
CCH Standard Federal Tax
Reporting System
Standard Federal Tax Reporter
Federal Estate and Gift Tax Reporter
Federal Excise Tax Reporter
Standard Federal Tax Reporter
Covers income tax
Arranged by Code Section
– RIA’s United States Tax Reporter is similarly
arranged
25 volumes
$2689
Weekly updates
Available on CCH Tax Research Network
Compilation Volumes (vol. 1-18)
An entry contains:
– the full text of an IRC section
– excerpts from Congressional committee reports
– corresponding regulations (proposed, temporary, and
final)
– editorial commentary
– Annotations to IRS documents and judicial decisions,
revenue rulings and other IRS guidance (revenue
procedures and procedural rules)
– Notices of acquiescence or nonacquiescence
Other Material
Index Volume
Code Volumes
New Matters Volumes
Citator Volumes
Taxes on Parade
U.S. Master Tax Guide
Federal Estate and Gift Tax
Reporter
Covers federal estate, gift, and generationskipping transfer laws
Same general format as SFTR
5 volumes
$760
Weekly updates
Available on CCH Tax Research Network
Compilation volumes (vol. 1 -3)
Contains the full text of the Internal Revenue
Code and IRS regulations on federal estate,
gift, and generation-skipping taxes.
Each section of the IRC is coordinated with
pertinent regulations, CCH explanations,
annotations of decisions and rulings, and
Committee Reports.
Related Income Tax provisions are contained
in vol. 2
New Matters (vol. 4)
Pending Legislation (Legislative Status
Table)
Rulings
IRS Letter rulings
Proposed Regulations
Tax Court Decisions
Court Decisions
Code Volume (vol. 5)
Code (not annotated)
Contains full text of estate and gift tax
treaties. For more detailed coverage
see: CCH Tax Treaties.
IRS forms used in estate and gift tax
matters
Citator
Federal Income Gift and Estate
Taxation (FIGET)
Covers federal income, gift and estate
taxes
Arranged according to the subjects of
taxation (ex: Ch 54 discusses the tax
aspects of trusts)
9 volumes
$1523
Updated 4 times/year
Content
Describes the overall pattern of federal income
tax law
Business entities
Corporate distributions
Securities and indebtedness
Real estate transactions
Gifts, trusts, and estates
Insurance and annuities
Tax procedure and administration
Federal Income Taxation of Estates
and Trusts, 3rd ed.
Discusses to whom the entity’s income will
be taxed
One volume
$260
Updated twice a year
Content
Chapters each discuss a separate
problem area in the income taxation of
trusts and estates.
Contains eighteen chapters:
– Overview of the entire subject in first chapter
– Retained Interests in Trust Income
– Powers to Revoke or Control Trust
– Income Tax Problems of Estate Administration
CCH Financial and Estate Planning
4 volumes
$1260
Monthly updates
Content
Strategies Volume-Discusses financial and
estate planning techniques by source of wealth,
client situation and devices to maximize benefits
and minimize transfer costs at death
Forms, clauses, client communication letters,
checklists and sample documents designed by
experts and used in practice.
Current awareness devices – Articles Volume,
Estate Planning Review, and Ideas and Trends
State law planning considerations
Estate Planning & Taxation
Coordinator
Organized by subject matter/transaction
Nine volumes
$1345
Biweekly updates
Content
Fairly simple language used to explain difficult
concepts
Provides basic definitions (e.g. What is a
probate estate?)
Follows RIA format
– Analysis first, then look up primary sources, as
needed
– Flags illustrations, cautions, observations, and
recommendations
Relevant IRC provisions, Treasury Regulations
and estate tax treaties are provided.
Legislative History materials are also provided.
Three ways to find information
Keyword index in Volume one
Spine/table of contents method
Finding tables
– Code Section
– Treasury Regulation
– Case/ruling name
Federal Tax Coordinator, 2nd
Organized by problem, not code section
35 volume set
$2610
Biweekly updates
Available online via RIA Checkpoint
Content
Designed for practitioners; written in non-technical terms
Covers income, gift, and estate tax
Also discusses other areas, including excise and
international taxes that are U.S. based
Provides sample client letters and checklists
IRC sections and Treasury Regulations are reproduced
in the back of each volume
Follows RIA format
– Analysis first, then look up primary sources, as needed
– Flags illustrations, cautions, observations, and recommendations
Federal Tax Practice: a treatise of the laws and
procedures governing the assessment and
litigation of Federal Tax Liabilities.
6 volumes
$920
Semi-annual updates
Available via Westlaw (CASEY)
Content
Organization of the IRS
Established procedure for settlement without
litigation of federal tax deficiencies
General limitation periods upon assessment of
federal income, estate and gift taxes
Structure of the Federal tax system
Trial procedures
Sample pleadings, motions, and tax practice
forms
Estate Planning: Forms, Practice
and Tax Analysis
2 Volumes
$289
Updated approximately 2 times/year
Content Highlights
Detailed discussion of EGTRRA 2001
and JGTRRA
Complete sample family estate plan
Complete sample wills
Estate planning for the corporate
executive
Estate planning with tax-deferred
retirement funds
Modern Estate Planning, 2nd ed.
5 volumes
$1166
Updated 3 times/year
Content
Concise treatise on estate planning
principles, incorporating “Planning Notes”
Wealth transfer planning and drafting
Return filing and procedure
BNA Tax Management Portfolios
Library has: U.S. Income, Foreign Income,
and Estates, Gifts & Trusts portfolios
Many spiral bound volumes (over 70 in
estate planning portfolios alone)
Available online via BNA, under “TM
Portfolios”
Updates arrive twice a month
Content
Each portfolio discusses a different topic within a
series
Each portfolio contains:
– Detailed analysis
– Working papers
– Bibliography
Index organized by:
– Code section
– IRS form/publication number
– Within a series, by topic/keyword
Federal Tax Valuation Digest
Designed to assist practitioners with
federal tax valuation questions
One volume per year
Content
Includes:
– US Tax Court cases
– Selected tax cases from other federal courts
– Selected decisions involving interests in
noncorporate forms of business organizations
Current version contains cases from
January 1946 – January 2005
Each case is assigned a case study
number
Organization
Organized by:
– Type of security/other interest valued by the
court
– Type of business
– Courts determination of fair market value to
calculate capitalization ratios
– 30 valuation factors considered by the courts
– Discounts and premiums
State Resources
CCH Inheritance, Estate and Gift
Tax Reporter – State
Covers state inheritance, estate and gift
tax laws (state level equivalent to the
Federal Estate and Gift Tax Reporter)
6 volumes
$1695
Weekly updates
State Volumes
Each state has a separate division with
uniform arrangement:
– Laws and Regulations Section
Provides full text of relevant laws and regulations
with amendments
– Compilation Section
CCH explanations, annotations of interpretative
authorities (court decisions, AG opinions, etc.)
Additional Material
All-State Compendiums
– Brief summary of the laws of each state (main
features of the laws, tables of rates and exemptions,
description of taxable transfers)
All-State Treatise
– Brief synopsis of the entire death tax subject
All-State Charts
Stock Transfers
– Designed to assist in the transfer of stock in decedent
estates (outline of procedure with forms,
comprehensive roster of U.S. and Canadian
corporations whose stocks are traded, etc)
CCH Nebraska Tax Reporter
Covers revenue-producing taxes
Arranged by tax type
2 volumes
$629
Semi-monthly updates
Available on CCH Tax Research Network
Taxes Covered
Corporate Income and Franchise Taxes
Personal Income Taxes
Property Tax
Sales and Use Taxes
Insurance Taxes
Utilities Tax
Cigarette Tax
Gasoline Tax
Motor Vehicle Tax
Severance Tax
Content
Explanations and annotations, organized by tax
type, with references to related laws,
regulations, court decisions and administrative
rulings.
The full text of state tax statutes, regulations,
rulings and releases, court decisions and
attorney general opinions.
Coverage of proposed legislation and state
regulatory activities from introduction through
enactment.
Summary of state inheritance, estate, and gift
taxes.
CCH State Tax Guide
Based on CCH’s State Tax Reports
3 volumes
$1439
Semi-monthly updates
Available on CCH Tax Research Network
Content
State-by-state summaries of nearly all taxes
imposed in each state, organized by state and
by tax.
Quick-reference charts that provide a multistate
overview of tax rates, due dates, and numerous
other topics. (ex: Personal Income Charts-Table
of rates, Table of Special Features, Estimated
Tax Requirements, Filing Thresholds, etc.)
“Doing Business Requirements” and Multistate
Taxation
Specialized Resources
International
Tax Accounting
Miscellaneous
International Income Tax and
Estate Planning, 2nd ed.
Discusses international income taxation
and international estate planning
Organized by topic
Two volumes
$538
Updated annually
Content
Analysis covers:
– Federal legislation
– Tax treaties
– Regulations and rulings by the IRS
– Case law
Chapters include discussions on:
– Conflicts of laws
– Federal taxation of nonresidents
– Probate
Tax Havens of the World
Country by country discussions of tax
havens
Three volumes
$558
Updated quarterly
Content
Introduction includes a description of tax
havens, historical information, and U.S.
statutes involved
Glossary of tax haven terms included
Each chapter discussion includes:
– Tax exemptions and reductions
– Political and economic stability
– Tax treaties
– Labor requirements
CCH Tax Treaties
Covers income and estate tax treaties
which the U.S. has made with foreign
countries
Arranged by country
5 volumes
$789
Monthly updates
Available on CCH Tax Research Network
Entry for each country includes:
Text of the tax treaty (income and estate tax
entries are separated)
Official analysis of the treaty when released
(State Dept. report, Treasury Dept. report,
Senate Foreign Relations Committee report)
Regulations, if any, adopted under the treaty
CCH explanations
Annotations (rulings and decisions)
Federal Tax Accounting
Describes when an item/expense should
be recognized; not whether an item is
includable as income or deductible as an
expense
One volume
$285
Updated twice a year
Content
Resource includes twelve chapters
– Begins with “Tax Accounting – What is it?”
– Methods of Accounting
– Inventories
– The Time Value of Money
Tax Accounting
Two volume set
$580
Updated annually
Content
Volume one contains nine chapters,
including: Accounting periods and
methods
Volume two contains appendices,
including:
– IRC provisions
– Income tax regulations
– Proposed regulations
– IRS revenue rulings
Estate Planning for Farmers and
Ranchers, 3rd ed.
Addresses estate planning for farm and
ranch families and the family-oriented
small business
Two volume set
$248
Updated by yearly supplements
Content
Intended as a companion to Family Business
Organizations, 2nd by Kelley
Each chapter begins with Research References
Chapters include:
–
–
–
–
–
Economic Background of Farm & Estate Tax Planning
Gift Planning
The Farm Corporation
Life Insurance
Retirement Planning for Farmers and Ranchers
Tax, Estate and Financial Planning
for the Elderly
Focuses on elderly clients
One volume
$270
Updated twice a year
Content
Begins with a glossary of acronyms
Chapters include:
–
–
–
–
Elder abuse
Supplemental Security Program
Health Care Decisions
Financial Planning
Also discusses non-legal issues
– Aware of physical limitations (e.g.: having a
magnifying glass available)
– Not acting as a family intermediary
– Maintaining regular contact
Staying current
Types of tools
Continuing Legal Education Materials
Law Review/Law Journal Articles
Current awareness materials that
accompany a larger set
Continuing Legal Education
Annual Notre Dame Tax and Estate
Planning Institute (proceedings)
Annual Philip E. Heckerling Institute of
Estate Planning
Major Tax Planning
ALI-ABA Estate Planning Course Materials
Journal
Law Review/Journal Articles
Find through many sources
– Index to Federal Tax Articles
– CCH Federal Tax Articles
– LegalTrac, Index to Legal Periodicals, and
Current Law Index
– HeinOnline
– Westlaw
Materials that are part of a larger
set
Many materials discussed under print
resources have a current awareness
service as part of the subscription
Examples:
– Estate Planning Review (Financial and Estate
Planning)
– Taxes on Parade and Tax Focus (Standard
Federal Tax Reporter)
Electronic Resources
Things to note…
Our subscriptions change
Resources are available from our home
page, but only if you are at the library
Prices can vary for subscriptions
Some offer a free “trial” subscription
CCH Tax Research Network
CCH Tax Research Network
Many of CCH’s primary publications
Primary sources
Current awareness tools
Tax legislation (Law Explanation and
Analysis Books, etc.)
Practice aids
http://law.unl.edu/schmid/subs.shtml
RIA Checkpoint
RIA Checkpoint
United States Tax Reporter (similar to
Standard Federal Tax Reporter)
Checklists
Client Letters
Pensions and Benefits Library
State and Local Tax Library
Calculators (mortgage, retirement, etc.)
http://law.unl.edu/schmid/subs.shtml
BNA
BNA
Resources listed alphabetically by subject
Tax materials include:
– Daily Tax Report
– International Tax Monitor
– TM Estates, Gifts and Trusts Journal
– TM Portfolios
– Tax Planning International (Asia-Pacific Focus
and European Union Focus)
http://law.unl.edu/schmid/index.shtml
Westlaw
Westlaw – public access
Public access version only available on
two computers that are located in the front
of the library
Available databases subject to change
Westlaw – public access
Databases include:
– FTAX-ALL: combines many federal tax
databases
– MTAX-ALL: combines many state tax
databases
– ALR-EPP: American Law Reports annotations
focusing on estate planning and probate
– CASEY: Federal Tax Practice
– MERTENS: Mertens Law of Federal Income
Taxation
Contact Us:
Matthew Novak
Stefanie Pearlman
402-472-3548