Tax issues with inheriting property

On May 3, 2016, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley signed legislation that will effectively abolish common-law marriage as of Jan. 1, 2017. Those already involved in valid common-law marriages before the cutoff date will still be recognized by the state.

Interesting Estate Tax Facts.  The federal estate tax is a tax on property (cash, real estate, stock, or other assets) transferred from deceased persons to their heirs. Only the wealthiest estates pay the tax because it is imposed only on the portion of an estate’s value that exceeds a specified exemption level — $5.43 million per person (effectively $10.86 million per married couple) in 2015.

When a person dies intestate, the Alabama laws of intestacy will kick in to provide for distribution of the intestate decedent’s assets.