SimplyTrust Knowledge Base

A: Nevada is a "trust-friendly" state. One major reason is its tax structure. Nevada has no state income tax, and it also imposes no state estate or inheritance tax.

A: Nebraska inheritance tax is a tax on beneficiaries, not by the estate itself. The rate and exemption depend on how closely the beneficiary was related to the person who passed.

A: An estate tax is a tax on the estate itself before assets go to heirs. The state once had a state estate tax, but it applied only to people who passed away before January 1, 2007. After that date, the statute that created the tax simply stopped applying, so the state no longer collects it. Today, when people talk about estate tax in Nebraska, they're usually referring to two different things that can still show up: federal estate tax and the state inheritance tax.

A: Minnesota allows revocable trusts and recognizes them as valid estate planning tools. These trusts can help residents avoid the state's formal probate process, which typically takes 6-9 months and costs thousands in fees. However, Minnesota doesn't offer enhanced privacy or asset protection for revocable trusts. Minnesota also has a state estate tax, which applies to estates valued at over $3,000,000. (Although no inheritance tax.)

A: Probate is the court-supervised process of authenticating a will and transferring assets to beneficiaries. Avoiding probate through a trust keeps affairs private and expedites asset distribution. In Minnesota, probate typically costs 3-7% of the estate value and takes 6-9 months to complete.

A: Digital execution allows electronic signatures and online notarization, streamlining management and reducing physical document requirements. Nevada's remote online notarization laws make this particularly accessible for trust creation and updates.

A: Inheritance tax is different from estate tax. The estate pays estate tax before distributing assets, while a recipient pays inheritance tax after they inherit. Historically, Minnesota used both.