U.S. and International Tax Planning

A common denominator and distinguishing feature of GFGR attorneys and other professionals is their deep and thorough understanding of U.S. and foreign tax and entity issues—an understanding that is essential to an effective estate, asset protection, and entity planning practice, both in the U.S. and abroad.

GFGR professionals are trained and committed to understanding the intricacies and nuances of state and federal income tax, estate and gift tax, state franchise tax, and the various charitable tax regimes. This training and commitment allows them to work with clients to define their goals, and to design and implement creative strategies to achieve those goals, always with an eye on optimum tax results. The professionals at GFGR strive to use their collective understanding of tax issues to meet each client’s individual needs within the context of all relevant tax environments. Individual GFGR professionals each specialize in distinct facets of tax law, but all maintain a broad-based understanding and appreciation of income, estate, and gift tax matters. As a collaborative group, they can recognize, react to, and shape the universe of tax implications that arise from virtually any transaction in which their clients may engage.

The professionals at GFGR are well versed in the U.S. and international tax aspects of using alternative structures for the ownership of business and investment property. Their expertise includes the effective and efficient formation and taxation of pass-through entities, such as trusts and family limited partnerships, and taxable entities, such as foreign and domestic corporations. When helping a client choose the proper entity through which to conduct their business or hold investments, we tailor the entity to the client by considering such factors as (1) the client’s personal preferences, (2) the level of control the client wishes to maintain over the business operation, (3) the degree of liability protection needed by the client, (4) the desired income tax treatment (e.g., separate corporate taxation, flow-through tax treatment, or disregarded entity treatment), (5) the desired estate and gift tax treatment, (6) the preferred entity form based on the type of business or investment operations, and (7) the appropriate state or foreign law jurisdiction. By taking into account each of these factors, GFGR can choose and structure the entity form—whether it is a trust, corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, or other entity form—to fit each client’s individual situation. After helping the client implement a business entity, we continue to educate and assist the client in the proper administration of the entity, and to facilitate business succession planning to ensure the longevity of the business.