Election Consequences

Now that the election is over, the good news for those of us who live in swing states is that we will no longer be overwhelmed with negative ads telling us the opposing candidate is despicable. For those who were hoping to see an end to the estate tax, the news is not so good. President Obama’s re-election and the divided Senate and House mean that the estate tax will continue into the indefinite future. The exemption amount may end up being $3.5 million, as President Obama desires, or the current amount of $5,120,000. Perhaps the most likely outcome is that Congress will continue its dysfunctional ways and, by default, the exemption becomes $1 million effective 2013. Also unfortunate is that, even if Congress passes new law, it will be a short-term solution instead of focusing on a permanent fix. Wait and see.