Estate & Legacy Planning
Your estate plan decides where your wealth goes. Tax planning decides how much of it arrives. We work alongside your estate attorney on trusts, gifting and wealth transfer, and prepare the returns that go with them.
Pass on more of what you built.
Good estate planning is a team effort. Your attorney drafts the documents, and we make sure the tax side works, from gifting strategy and trust income to the estate and gift tax returns themselves.
For West Coast families, state rules matter too. Oregon and Washington each have their own estate tax, so state planning can matter even when federal estate tax doesn't apply.
Recognize two or more? A free call is a good next step.
Every lever, coordinated.
The specific strategies depend on your situation. Here is what this engagement typically covers.
Estate tax planning
Federal and state estate tax projections, including Oregon and Washington estate taxes.
Gifting strategy & Form 709
Annual exclusion gifts, larger lifetime gifts and accurate gift tax returns.
Trust returns (Form 1041)
Preparation and planning for trust income, distributions and K-1s.
Estate returns (Form 706)
Estate tax returns and elections, including portability for surviving spouses.
Family & business succession
Transferring business interests and property tax-efficiently.
Charitable legacy
Charitable trusts, donor-advised funds and bequests that reflect your values.
From first call to a written plan.
A simple, structured start, then a relationship that keeps working for you all year.
Book a free call
We'll learn about your goals, your income and the decisions ahead.
Deep-dive review
Share prior returns through the secure portal. We look for opportunities and risks.
Strategy & roadmap
A clear written plan with projections, recommended moves and deadlines.
Implement & monitor
We help put the plan in motion, then keep it current all year.
Built for the clients we know best.
We focus on a few client groups so we can go deep on the issues each one faces.
Estate planning for families in Lake Oswego, Vancouver & Camas.
Oregon and Washington are among the few states with their own estate tax. Families in Portland and Lake Oswego, and across the river in Vancouver and Camas, often need state-level planning even when federal estate tax won’t apply.
We work alongside your estate attorney in Portland or Seattle on gifting, trusts and the returns that go with them, including for families with property in both states.
Oregon’s estate tax exemption is far below the federal one, so many families are affected.
Washington estate tax, often combined with Oregon property or income.
Coordinating gifting and trusts with Washington estate tax and capital gains tax.
Common questions.
Every situation is different. A free call is the fastest way to get a straight answer.
Do I need to worry about estate tax?
Possibly, even if federal estate tax won't apply to you. Oregon and Washington each have their own estate tax, with much lower exemptions than the federal one, so many West Coast families need state-level planning.
Do you draft wills and trusts?
No. Attorneys draft legal documents. We work alongside your estate attorney on the tax strategy and prepare the related tax returns.
What is a portability election?
It allows a surviving spouse to use the unused federal estate tax exemption of the spouse who passed away. It requires filing an estate tax return, even when no tax is due.
Can you help as I settle a loved one's estate?
Yes. We prepare final individual returns, estate income tax returns and estate tax returns, and we guide executors through the timeline.
Do you help with Oregon and Washington estate tax for families in Lake Oswego and Vancouver?
Yes. We help families in Lake Oswego, Portland, Vancouver, Camas and Seattle plan for both state estate taxes, and we prepare trust, estate and gift tax returns alongside their estate attorney.
Explore more ways we help.
Your taxes are decided now, not in March.
Let's build your plan while there's still time to use it.