Deborah Ann Fox, CPA

Two Thumbs Up for this podcast about what happens to "cars" after death. This episode hits home especially after 2 close family deaths since Feb 2026. I plan to listen again so I can make notes as I do because of the insight provided on topic and beneath the surface. Commenting here. Sharing elsewhere including with family. Thanks.

Time for Legal Tea ☕️

This episode dives into the surprisingly complicated (and deeply emotional!) question of what happens to cars after death. From probate and family conflict to collector vehicles and sentimental assets, we explore why the “stuff” people leave behind can create some of the biggest estate planning issues families face.

Comes in Waves
Mine has been offshore and should be rolling in whenever Mother Nature is ready.

"Gov. Abbott has issued a declaration for 101 counties as severe storms and threats continue across the state. Texans are urged to monitor local weather forcast & heed all warnings from local officials."

Gov. Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for 101 Texas counties as severe storms and flood threats continue across the state.

Texans are urged to monitor local weather forcast & heed all warnings from local officials.

Score suggests 8 Organizing Resolutions for Small Business.

I love suggestion #1: Make Your Tax Preparers Life Easier-it can pay dividends for both of you.

Let's discuss #7: File By The Deadline. I disagree. You need to Pay by the deadline. Extend-File Later.

https://score.org/articles/8-tax-organizing-resolutions-small-businesses/

8 Tax Organizing Resolutions for Small Businesses - SCORE Get your small business taxes organized year-round with these eight resolutions to simplify preparation, maximize deductions, and meet all filing deadlines.

"A key to emotion regulation is expanding the distance between feelings and actions." - Adam Grant

"It gets easier with practice. Some environments are easier than others. I've learned if we manage our thoughts it is easier to manage our mouth. What we say and do leaves a lasting record. Easier to manage on the front end then repair later. - .

Amen to this forever and a day.

I had a fun surprise today when I went to see my dads attorney. She was in the same building and floor as the UCF Business Incubation Program and Florida SBDC at USF.
Before helping Dad/Angie in FL, I used to teach tax at UTSA Small Business Development Center for new small biz owners. Serendipitous to be at SBDC FL facility. Fate can be fun.

"Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it." - Mark Twain

Geography matters in life and after death. Read taxgirlirl

"With the federal estate But state estate , inheritance taxes, and probate costs can still catch heirs off guard, especially in states with lower thresholds, unusual rules, or fees that function like a hidden levy."

Tax Breaks: The Death And Taxes Edition Plus: Not reporting foreign gifts can cost you, U.S. Tax Court, the new car loan interest deduction, and Shakira’s latest residency tax win in Spain.

“The husband wasn’t trying to write the wife out of this. She was aligned with this,” said Samantha Prince, a professor at Penn State Dickinson Law who writes about how retirement plan laws can harm workers. “It’s just maddening.”

If the family loses, half of the money would be distributed to Val’s estate and half to Ed’s trust, according to court records. The grandchildren would still get it but they would lose valuable tax benefits.

Ed Lyon, a pioneering urologist at the University of Chicago, wanted his retirement account to go to his 36 grandchildren. Seven years after his death, his heirs are still fighting to make that happen.

The family’s appeals to both the university and the account’s record-keeper, TIAA, were rebuffed. They were told they hadn’t provided the proper paperwork, leaving Lyon’s funds, worth $1.2 million at his death, in a state of limbo.

The case turns on a narrow interpretation of the law, but showcases a big problem in the world of estate planning.

People often fail to realize what’s required to update the beneficiaries for their accounts. What seems like a mundane to-do item while the account holder is alive later becomes a major headache for would-be heirs.

Read more: 🔗 https://on.wsj.com/42UdaEG