ESTATE PLANNING COUNCIL OF LOWER FAIRFIELD COUNTY, INC.

We are pleased to announce that Edward A. Vergara, JD, LL.M., Partner, Withers Bergman LLP, will be our guest speaker on the subject of “Coming to America" - When do the U.S. Estate and Gift Tax Rules Apply to an Immigrant? at our February 11th Dinner Meeting at the Giovanni’s II in Darien. Cash bar and cocktails will begin at 5:45 p.m., followed by dinner promptly at 6:30 p.m., speaker at 7:30 p.m., and we anticipate an end to the meeting between 8:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.

Whether or not we realize it, as U.S. advisors we sometimes assume that the same set of rules applies to all of our clients.  In fact, clients with non-U.S. connections might be operating under a vastly different tax regime, which can give rise to potential pitfalls and opportunities we should all be aware of. In this session we'll outline a framework for thinking about these issues while answering the following specific questions:

• When do (and don't) the "normal" U.S. Gift and Estate tax rules apply to a non-U.S. citizen?  Does it matter what country the client is from?

• What types of assets or activities might give rise to U.S. Estate or Gift exposure even for individuals with little U.S. connections?  Alternatively, what types of assets are always "safe" for non-U.S. citizens to hold without worry of U.S. Gift or Estate tax exposure?

• What planning opportunities (or restrictions) should all non-U.S. citizen clients (and clients with non-U.S. citizen family members) be aware of?

• What reporting obligations might apply to estate planning transaction with non-U.S. citizens?

As time permits, we will also touch on some of the U.S. income tax and reporting considerations that might be relevant to these scenarios, as well as to U.S. citizens with non-U.S. activities.

Edward A. Vergara, JD, LL.M., is a Partner with Withers Bergman LLP. Ed advises U.S. and multi-national individuals making domestic and international investment and succession planning decisions. He has extensive experience advising on U.S. inbound and outbound investments, individuals migrating into or out of the United States, U.S. beneficiaries of foreign trusts and foundations, and fiduciaries managing foreign structures for the benefit of U.S. persons. Ed also works with the principals of hedge funds and private equity funds on a variety of matters, including estate planning and advising on fund structures that satisfy investor demands while advancing important tax and estate planning goals of the principals. He is admitted to the United States Court of Federal Claims, the States of NY, CT and CA and is a Registered Foreign Lawyer in the UK, 2010. He received his BA from New College of Florida, JD from Georgetown University Law Center and LL.M. from New York University School of Law. 

Please click on the document link below for complete program/registration details.