Recent Articles

California Passes Mandatory Electronic Payment Law

Mitchell A. Port
January 05, 2009 12:45

In California, if your estimated tax payments, extension payments, or total tax liabilities in 2009 meet the mandatory threshold under the new law, you must remit all payments electronically regardless of the taxable year, type of payment, or payment amount.New Section 19011.5 of the California...

Checklist To Close Your California Business

Mitchell A. Port
December 29, 2008 19:45

California business owners have access to a handy checklist of things to do when closing a business. The IRS, California, Los Angeles and other local city governments each have their own going out of business requirements. Here they are in one convenient place.When closing a business in...

Revocation Of California's Advance Health Care Directive

Mitchell A. Port
December 22, 2008 13:00

After working with your attorney in Los Angeles to avoid probate in California by preparing your will, living trust, durable power of attorney for property management and the advance health care directive, you now decide you want to revoke the...After working with your attorney in Los Angeles to...

California Lawyer's Duty To Preserve Your Will

Mitchell A. Port
December 18, 2008 18:16

Document safekeeping: what is California's requirement regarding your lawyer's duty when the attorney agrees with you to keep your will or living trust?New California Probate Code Section 710 describes your attorney's duty of care to preserve the estate planning documents you decide to leave with...

Tax Treatment Of Investment Advisory Costs

Mitchell A. Port
December 16, 2008 08:01

The IRS issued the long-awaited Notice 2008-116, which announced that trustees and executors are free from unbundling the investment portion of their fiduciary fees for one more year. Thus, for 2008 and prior tax returns, trustee fees and executor commissions are fully deductible under IRC § 67(e). ...

California Tax Information For Same-Sex Married Couples

Mitchell A. Port
December 11, 2008 12:28

California's Franchise Tax Board offers advice to same-sex married couples about their California income tax treatment and tax return filing obligations resulting from the California Supreme Court's recent decision overturning the gay marriage ban.An advance draft copy of a California tax form for...

California Statutory Wills Are Free

Mitchell A. Port
December 08, 2008 12:30

California provides a free Will form. It is called a California Statutory Will and is in Probate Code Section 6240.Questions and answers about California’s Statutory Will are presented here and in California Probate Code Section 6240. The following information, in question and answer form, is not ...

Lost Your IRS Appeals Case? Now You Can Mediate And Arbitrate Your Defeat

Mitchell A. Port
December 04, 2008 17:57

The Internal Revenue Service announced on December 1, 2008 a two-year test of two programs: the post-Appeals mediation and arbitration procedures for Offer in Compromise (OIC) and Trust Fund Recovery Penalty (TFRP). Here are the details....Two new Appeals programs are available from the...

When There Is No One To Inherit The Property In California

Mitchell A. Port
December 01, 2008 12:42

No will in California? No heirs? No one with a legal claim for the Californian's property? What happens?One of the most common questions I am asked as a Los Angeles probate lawyer involves property going to the State of California after a person dies who owned property in California. The term...

Time For Filing Creditor's Claims During A California Probate

Mitchell A. Port
November 26, 2008 12:30

Are you owed money by someone who died in California whose estate is in probate? Make a claim so you may be paid. Here's how....Creditor claims in Los Angeles County, Santa Barbara County, Ventura County and Orange County against the property of a decedent in California must file a timely claim...