On Oct. 7, 2016, the New Jersey legislature approved a bill that would eliminate the New Jersey estate tax by 2018. The bill is the result of a compromise between Gov. Chris Christie and the state legislature to increase the state’s gas tax by 23 cents per gallon and slightly reduce the state sales tax. The bill is expected to be signed by Governor Christie in mid-October. [UPDATE: The governor signed the bill into law on October 14, 2016].
New Jersey currently has one of the most penalizing estate tax regimes in the country, with an exemption of only $675,000 and a top marginal rate of 16 percent. The new legislation would increase the exemption to $2 million on Jan. 1, 2017, and eliminate the tax entirely on Jan. 1, 2018.
To read the full text of the article, written by Duane Morris associates Elizabeth Corder and Joshua Steinberg, please visit the Duane Morris website.