Undoubtedly, just about every individual should create an estate plan as soon as feasibly possible. Many people harbor the misconception that an estate plan is only necessary for the rich or individuals with significant assets. As a result of this misconception, many people end up overlooking the assets they actually do possess because they believe that they don’t have an estate. All people, with very few exceptions, possess an estate and accordingly need an estate plan. If you’re creating an estate plan, here is some information about the role of a CPA in the estate planning process.
What Is a CPA?
A ” Certified Public Accountant”” or CPA is the title of qualified accountants in the United States. In order to become a CPA, an individual must pass the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and meet state experience and education requirements. CPAs are responsible for consulting individuals, businesses, government agencies, financial institutions, and nonprofit organizations. While CPAs mostly act as advisors when it comes to taxes and financial goals, they can also provide help and advice related to the estate planning process.
What Is the Role of a CPA in Estate Planning?
Without a doubt, estate planning is best done with the help of a team of professionals working together. Some key players for an estate planning team include attorneys, investment advisors, insurance agents, bank trust officers, and CPAs.
Tax Knowledge
A CPA can bring his or her knowledge of taxes to the table to ensure you create a proper estate plan. Thanks to this intricate knowledge of taxes, a CPA will be able to tell you the tax implications of every decision you make. This will help you ensure that your estate plan minimizes the taxes and maximizes the portion of your estate that will be passed down to your beneficiaries.
Due to the incredibly high rates of taxation and inflation, it is now more important than ever to have a CPA by your side to make preserving your estate as simple as possible. You need sound estate planning to preserve the estate and wealth you worked so hard to attain. Even if you are young, you need to start planning the disposition of property as soon as possible so that your heirs receive everything entitled to them when the time comes.
Future Expectations
Another way a CPA will be able to help you with the estate planning process is giving you reasonable future expectations for your estate. As stated above, many people don’t see the need of creating an estate plan because they don’t believe they have a sizable estate. However, it is possible that an estate of modest value today could become very significant by the time you die. A CPA can use their knowledge of market trends and finances to predict whether the value of your estate will increase, decrease, or stay the same a few decades down the line.
Of course, you can’t expect the predictions of a CPA to be 100 percent accurate. However, in many cases, these predictions will be very close. Thanks to these predictions, you will be able to make informed decisions now and when you make modifications to your estate plan in the future.
An estate plan is one of those things that you should do sooner rather than later. The fact that an individual can die at any time is a sobering but true fact. If you want to learn more about the importance of CPA estate planning, contact us here at Larry Bertsch. We offer a full range of accounting (including forensic accounting), tax preparation, and small business bookkeeping services at affordable fees.
