The Role Of A CPA In The Estate Planning Process

The Role Of A CPA In The Estate Planning Process
By: Kris Koonar

CPA(Certified Public Accountant) is a designation, which is offered to qualified accountants who apparently clear the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination conducted by the United States. These accountants have to posses the mandatory state educational prerequisite as well as know-how. Those who clear the exam are given the CPA license. This exam protects the general public from incompetent accountants who execute shoddy work. In 1896 the New York State Law passed the first Law of Accountancy. Accounting evolved as a profession after this law was passed and was tagged under the licensing necessities. These professionals have to follow strict professional ethics and certain working standards.

This lead was followed by many states and in due course fifty-four jurisdictions accepted the public law accounting legislation. The Board of Accountancy solely has the licensing authority, in compliance with the state laws. Most of the US practicing accountants holds the CPA license and those working without it are generally proscribed. As a result in most of the cases the CPA designation cannot be used outside the state until the person professionally acquires a license or a certificate of that picky state.

CPAs have broad vision and knowledge about the tax implications levied on estates. They can help an individual in achieving his or her goals as well as help him or her in minimizing the taxes and simultaneously increase the estate portion that can be easily passed on to heirs.

With today's unstable financial market fluctuations, the market has become less accommodating to accumulate, preserve or dispose wealth easily. Estate and financial planning helps you preserve your hard earned estates. Planning for disposition while you are alive as well as after death is very important. With effective tax planning you can eliminate all your tax burdens and relax by knowing that your beneficiaries will get everything instead of it going into the government coffers.

Estate planning importance

You spend your youth slogging and planning to ensure that you have good assets to pass on to your heirs. If you are lucky then you may also have some investments as well as a business, so that life becomes much easier for your family to cope without you. So appoint a CPA so that your affairs are managed well and ensure that the financial burden does not give you sleepless nights. Estate planning is very important and should be well managed.

The help of a CPA does not cease with your death; they also help out in filing the income tax return after your death. They also handle your estate tax returns and income tax of the estate. There are chances that a CPA might get involved into the process of estate valuation and simultaneously work with attorney or the executor relating to tax savings following your death. The final goal behind all this is to maximize your estate portion that can be passed on to your heirs

CPAs also involve themselves in the IRS audits as well as in estate administration. Highly specialized knowledge is required for financial and estate planning. Certified Public Accountants remain in close contact with the clients by handling personal income taxes and personal financial affairs. They can also help the clients in taking important decisions and also in the overall coordination.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/the-role-of-a-cpa-in-the-estate-planning-process-208440.html

About the Author: Kris Koonar. Sacramento CPA Firm Murray and Young offer Tax Representation by a former IRS auditor. For useful articles and tips by Sacramento Estate Tax Planners, please visit our website at http://www.april15.com.