What is estate planning?
Estate planning means arranging your estate as well as possible in advance. One of the goals of estate planning is to minimise the amount of inheritance tax paid by loved ones, but the fiscal aspects always come second to your wishes, both in life and after death. Once your wishes have been clearly mapped out, we’ll figure out which tax route is best for your personal estate plan.
What is an estate planner?
An estate planner is someone who helps you with your estate planning. They’re an expert who will help you navigate the different areas of civil law (inheritance law, gift law, matrimonial property law, life insurance, pension and social security law, and international law) and tax law (gift and inheritance tax, transfer tax, and income tax).
Our estate planners are civil and tax law experts and can help you draw up an estate plan and give you direct insight into which assets will go to whom in the event of your death, and what the tax consequences will be. They then map out that information in an estate plan that includes clear advice and action points.
Estate plan
The estate plan will give you advice and action points that you can implement (during your lifetime) to help you arrange your estate as well as possible in advance. That includes things like donations, checking and adjusting policies, drafting and/or adjusting wills, drafting or adjusting prenuptial agreements, checking pension schemes, mapping out a business succession plan, and more.
Wealth transfer
There are two ways to transfer wealth: in your lifetime or at death. Transferring assets during your lifetime means gifting them. By drawing up a gift plan, you can make the most of the various tax exemptions and rate advantages available. A will is usually used to transfer assets after death.
Both forms are subject to taxes. The two most common are the gift tax or inheritance tax, but income tax and/or transfer taxes may also be imposed.
Business succession
In addition to their own personal wishes, business owners are also faced with the issue of business continuity and business succession. How are you going to handle that? Our estate planners have the expertise to help.
Handling your own estate planning? Estate planning costs
Doing your own estate planning requires significant legal and tax knowledge, and you always need to be up-to-date on the latest developments. There are multitudes of rules that change frequently. Our advice is that this isn’t the place to cut costs, make sure you consult a good estate planner. They know what to look out for and how to help you and your loved ones get the most out of your estate. It will save you not only a lot of time, but a lot of money, as well!
More information
Would you like to know more about estate planning or drawing up an estate plan? Get in touch on +31 (0)20 6225509 or send an email to nahv@nahv.nl.
Who are we?
NAHV Belastingadviseurs is the finance and accountancy firm where you can ask the questions you never dared to ask. We specialise in tax and administrative solutions, and financial advice for (creative) entrepreneurs. We have over 3,500 regular clients ranging from artists, to journalists, architects and many other professionals and companies in the creative and cultural sector, as well as lawyers, independent contractors in the construction sector, physiotherapists and countless other professions. Whether you’re a freelancer or self-employed professional, director and major shareholder of a private limited company or a general partnership, we help everyone.
Our office has served Amsterdam and the surrounding area for 25 years. We have in-house experts, work as a team, take a proactive approach, and can keep the costs manageable.