BNA Estate & Gift Tax Planner Customer Support
Frequently Asked Questions
Latest Software Update
What is the latest version of BNA Estate & Gift Tax Planner?
Answer:
The most recent BNA Estate Tax Planner CD, version 2013.1, shipped on May 14, 2013.
Data Entry and Editing
How can I edit my flowcharts?
Answer:
You can edit flowcharts by:
Clicking on the caption of the flowchart box you would like to edit.
Double clicking on the flowchart to add custom boxes.
Clicking on the Flowchart Adjustments button on the toolbar.
Marital & Charitable Calculations
How do I optimize the marital deduction?
Answer:
Click on the drop-down arrow on the Zero Federal Tax Option row on the marital deduction worksheet and select either “ZFT1” or “ZFT2”. The exemption equivalent amount, usually $1,000,000 after 2010, will pass to the family and the remainder to the surviving spouse.
I do not want all the marital deduction to be treated as qualified terminal interest (QTIP) property. How can I change this?
Answer:
On the marital deduction worksheet locate the row entitled Adjustments to QTIP Trust located on the second row from the bottom. Enter the amount you do not want treated as QTIP property as a negative number.
Other
I want to erase what's on the screen, but not erase the file out of memory. How do I do that?
Answer:
After you have saved the file, click on "New Client" on the File menu.
Printing & Display
Can the program generate portable document (PDF) files?
Answer:
The program can export PDF files for worksheets, graphs, and reports. To export one or more files to PDF, select file, then export.
State Taxes
Why don’t I see any numbers on the State Death Taxes worksheet?
Answer:
For some states (such as New York) the worksheet does not display any numbers. You will only see the state tax on the main worksheet.
How can I get the program to calculate the Pennsylvania inheritance tax rate of 12%, effective 7/1/00, for nonlineal descendants?
Answer:
Enter the number "4" as the beneficiary class.
Tax
How do I calculate pre-death appreciation?
Answer:
Enter assets on the Gross Estate worksheet. Enter a planning year that precedes the year of death. Then enter percentages on the three future value rows below the planning year for liquid property, non-liquid property, and special growth assets.
How do I grow assets between the deaths of two decedents?
Answer:
On the Adjusted Gross Estate worksheet, enter a percentage on the row "FVal %-Decedent 2 MD & GE" to calculate the annual percentage increase for the surviving spouse’s separate property and for the marital deduction property left by the predeceased spouse to the surviving spouse. The value at the first decedent’s death will be compounded annually at this percentage for the estimated number of years of survival.
The will calls for a bequest to someone other than the spouse (for example, a longtime friend). How do I enter this information and compute the interrelated marital calculation?
Answer:
Select the zero federal tax (ZFT) option on the Marital Deduction worksheet. Then enter the amount of the bequest on the row titled "Total Bequests Not GSTs". If any portion of the bequest bears its own tax, put that portion on the row "Bequests Subject to Tax".
The will calls for the estate to go to a charity after taxes with the exception of some bequests to individuals. How do I enter this information and compute the interrelated charitable calculation?
Answer:
Click the drop-down arrow on the "Residuary Interrelated Trusts" row on the Charitable Deduction worksheet. Select either “IRC1” or “IRC2”. Next, enter an amount on the "Fund Before Taxes" row (You can get the program to compute the residuary by typing an extremely large number in this cell.). Then enter an amount on "Total Bequests not GSTs" that represents all the bequests that should not be included in the fund. If any of these bequests are subject to tax, enter this amount on the "Bequests Subject to Tax" row. When you enter a percentage on the "Deductible % of Fund" row, the program will calculate the charitable deduction.
How do I increase the family share by the amount of the gifts?
Answer:
On the Gift Entry worksheet, there is a row called "Adjs and Excluded Gifts". Access this worksheet. At the bottom of the worksheet there is a row called "Add Gifts to Family Share? Y/N". If you answer "Y", the family share on the main worksheet will be increased by the amount of any future gifts entered on the Gift Entry worksheet.
How do I enter an irrevocable insurance trust?
Answer:
At the bottom of the Gross Estate worksheet there’s a row titled "Irrevocable Insurance Trust". Enter here the non-includible death benefit for the irrevocable insurance trust. If you also answer "Y" on the next row, "Add to Family Share? Y/N", the program adds the amount on the "Irrevocable Insurance Trust" row to the family share on the main worksheet.
How do I enter a GST trust?
Answer:
From the Main worksheet, access the "GST Taxes Payable on Death" worksheet. Access the "GST Trusts (Death Transfers)" worksheet. Enter the amounts for the trust on the "Trust 1 Numerator and Denominator" rows on this worksheet. The amount of the numerator is the amount of the lifetime GST exemption used. The denominator is the amount of the estate that is actually being placed in trust.
How do I enter a lifetime charitable trust?
Answer:
On the Charitable Deduction worksheet, you can enter a non-residuary trust. First enter the type of trust and the trust amount. On the subworksheet you must enter an age (or 2 ages), a term of years, a 7520 rate, a rate of payment or dollar payout and whether payment will be made at the beginning or the end of the period. Then the program will calculate the charitable deduction (The calculations for the charitable deduction on the 1040 and the 706 are the same). Note the amount of the non-charitable portion of the split interest trust. Now zero out the amount of the trust and enter the amount of the non-charitable portion as a lifetime gift.
How do I tell the program to reverse the order of deaths of Husband and Wife?
Answer:
To reverse the order of death:
On any worksheet, right mouse click (do not hold down the button) and a menu will appear. Move your mouse over the “Reverse Order of Death” selection and left mouse click.
-or-
Click the reverse order of death button on the toolbar.
Tax Rates
How can I find out about monthly Section 7520 rate changes, and how do I add them to the program?
Answer:
While most of these rates have been hard-coded into the program, some are new and may need to be entered manually. To update your BNA Estate & Gift Tax Planner, simply click on the Assumptions Tab and enter the correct rate in Section 4 to enter any new rate(s) published after the release of the program.
To view the latest Section 7520 rates please see the BNA Estate & Gift Tax Planner Software Updates section.
How can I find out about quarterly Section 6166 underpayment rate changes, and how do I add them to the program?
Answer:
While most of these rates have been hard-coded into the program, some are new and may need to be entered manually. To update your BNA Estate & Gift Tax Planner, simply click on the Assumptions Tab and enter into Section 5 any new rate(s) published after the release of the program.
Updates
When I try to update the program, I get an error message complaining about a missing *.msi file.
Answer:
When you initially install the program, the program installs a .msi file that the program needs to install the update. If update installer cannot find the .msi, you will need to uninstall the current program, reinstall the original program, and the run the Web update again.
