Do Process: ProcessServicePA – Issue #24
The dead of winter in the Delaware Valley has been surprisingly mild. I have noticed an uptick of business but have been successful in getting all services done in a timely fashion. As always, I am here for all of your needs, process service, skip trace, filing and retrieval.
Here are a couple of articles I found of interest. It never ceases to amaze me what people will try to do…moral of the first story, DON’T FORGE. The second feature is from Elaine T Yandrisevits, an associate at Antheil, Maslow & MacMinn, LLP in Doylestown. Elaine writes about the new changes in Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax laws taking effect. Thank you for the contributing article, Elaine! I am open to your input, articles and business profiles. Please reach out if I can be of any help or service.
Woman charged with forging judge’s signature on divorce papers
Dothan, AL (WTVY)– A Dothan woman has been indicted for forging the name of a Houston County judge on fraudulent divorce documents.
Police claim 61-year old Linda Dianne Collins Clayton, who worked in an attorney’s office, took money from a woman who sought a divorce from her husband.
Collins is accused of providing that woman with what appeared to be a divorce decree bearing the name of Circuit Judge Larry Anderson.
The stamp of Clerk of the Court Carla Woodall also appeared on the paperwork. Police say Clayton illegally stamped the documents.
The woman seeking the divorce discovered the alleged forgeries just days before she planned to remarry. She then had to locate her former husband, who had moved out of state, to seek a legitimate divorce.
Collins is charged with four counts of forgery.
The attorney who employed her is not accused in the alleged scheme.
New Change to Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax Law Takes Effect
On January 1, 2020, a new change to Pennsylvania’s Inheritance Tax Law became effective for decedents who pass away as of that date and leave assets to children under the age of twenty-one (21). Under the new law, inheritances from parents to children under the age of 21 will now be taxed at a zero percent rate, effectively passing inheritance tax-free.
Pennsylvania is one of six states that assesses an inheritance tax on the transfer of assets from a decedent to his or her heirs. Pennsylvania’s Inheritance Tax is applied to a decedent’s probate and nonprobate property, including real property based in Pennsylvania, cash accounts, IRAs, 401ks, and joint property. Out of state real property and life insurance proceeds are exempt from Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax.
The rate of Inheritance Tax depends on the relationship between the decedent and the recipient of the property. Under Pennsylvania’s prior Inheritance Tax law, transfers to all descendants, including children, stepchildren, and grandchildren, were taxed at a 4.5% rate. Now, with the new Inheritance Tax law becoming effective, transfers from a parent or stepparent to a child (including an adoptive child) or stepchild who is under the age of 21 on the date of the parent or stepparent’s death will be taxed at a zero percent rate. It is important to note that this new law only applies to transfers from a parent or stepparent to a child under the age of 21; transfers to all other descendants (including from grandparents to grandchildren under the age of 21) will continue to be taxed at the 4.5% rate.
As for other Inheritance Tax rates, they remain unchanged, so: transfers from a decedent to his or her surviving spouse are taxed at a zero percent rate, while transfers to siblings are taxed at 12%. Transfers to all other individuals are taxed at a rate of 15%. Finally, any distributions left to a charity are exempt from Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax.