First Admitted: 2008, California

Professional Webpage: https://michnickalaw.com/about-us/

Bar/Professional Activity:

Member, San Francisco Estate Planning Council, 2014-2023
California, 2008
Member, San Francisco Foundation Emerging Advisors Network, 2017-2023
Director, Board of Directors of the Better Business Bureau, Inc., 2015-2023

Special Licenses/Certifications:

Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law designated by the State Bar of California, 2015
Admitted to United States Tax Court, 2011
LL.M. Taxation, University of Washington School of Law Graduate Program in Taxation, 2008

Honors/Awards:

Northern California Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2013-2022, Super Lawyers

Educational Background:

B.A.S., University of Washington, 2004
LL.M. Taxation, University of Washington School of Law, 2008

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

“Understanding Tax Procedures” and “Estate Administration: Why Each Step is Important,” National Business Institute, Inc., December 2012
“Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: A Fiduciary’s Guide to the Attorney-Client Privilege,” Professional Fiduciary Association of California, March 2018.
“Post Mortem Tax Planning Options,” National Business Institute, Inc., November 2016
“Tax Planning” and “Revocable Living Trusts,” National Business Institute, Inc., July 2015
You may have heard by now that the Gift and Estate Tax exemption amount was increased by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which became effective on January 1, 2018. This article is to highlight some of the key estate planning issues under the new tax law. In 2019, the Gift and Estate Tax exemption as adjusted for inflation is $11.4 million, and in 2020, the exemption amount will be increased to $11,580,000. Historically, this is the highest the exemption has ever been. The exemption will continue to increase incrementally due to a built-in inflation adjustment until January 1, 2026, when, absent an act of Congress, the exemption will be decreased to about $6 million. The value of a decedent’s estate in excess of the available exemption upon death will be subject to a 40% estate tax. This dramatic increase (and future expected decrease) in exemption poses a range of estate planning issues which affect all clients, regardless of the amount of your wealth. There are also some opportunities for tax savings., Author, Important Tax and Estate Planning Update, 2019

Anna Michnicka