Most people remember the late Leona Helmsley as the convicted tax felon famous for uttering the words "only little people pay taxes", but she is also remembered for having a will that left a $12 million trust fund for her Maltese dog, Trouble. While that is extreme, we all know the strong bond between pet and owner - such that many people refer to a pet as their child. While legally pets are considered property, to their owners, pets may be best friends and family -- and in some cases, a pet may be a person's only friend or family member. Therefore, when a person considers his or her estate ...
A qualified retirement plan (hereinafter a "Plan") must satisfy the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code ("IRC") in form and in operation. In other words, the documents establishing and governing the Plan must satisfy the IRC requirements and the Plan must be operated in a manner that complies with the IRC requirements. Many plan sponsors confirm a Plan's compliance with the form requirements by obtaining a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") through the IRS Determination Letter Program.
Based on the form of the documents used to establish the Plan ...