Serving Travis & Williamson Counties

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High-Net-Worth Strategies

Austin Estate Tax Attorney

Strategic tax mitigation and wealth preservation for high-net-worth Austin families under the federal Unified Gift and Estate Tax.

"Tax planning is the difference between leaving a legacy and leaving a bill. In Austin's booming economy, we don't just plan for what you have today—we plan for the growth you’ll achieve tomorrow. - Kyle Robbins"

Many high-net-worth families, tech executives, and real estate investors in Central Texas operate under a false sense of security regarding federal tax exposure, particularly as the historic exemptions under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act face massive statutory shifts. At Robbins Estate Law, we reject "cookie-cutter" templates, recognizing that elite wealth preservation requires advanced, courthouse-tested tax structures engineered strictly around the Internal Revenue Code and the Texas Estates Code.

Backed by our extensive experience navigating thousands of complex estate and multi-generational tax matters across Travis County, our legal team specializes in capturing critical valuation discounts and locking in historic tax shields before critical legislative windows close. Whether you need to insulate high-growth technology equities in downtown Austin, freeze the taxable value of commercial real estate holdings, or protect family corporate interests in West Lake Hills and Rollingwood, we establish ironclad, multi-layered defensive frameworks that protect your legacy and keep your wealth completely under your control.

 

Sophisticated Tax Mitigation Strategies

We go beyond the basic Will. To protect high-net-worth estates in Travis County, we utilize advanced "Tax Toolbox" strategies designed to move assets out of your taxable estate while maintaining family control:

  • Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILIT): Removing life insurance death benefits from your taxable estate to provide liquidity for tax payments or inheritance equalization.
  • Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLAT): Utilizing your current high gift tax exemption to move assets into a trust that benefits your spouse, effectively 'locking in' today's exemption rates.
  • Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRAT): Transferring the future appreciation of high-growth assets (like Austin tech stocks or real estate) to heirs with little to no gift tax cost.
  • Charitable Lead/Remainder Trusts (CLAT/CRUT): Achieving significant income and estate tax deductions while supporting Austin-area charities and providing for your family.
  • Valuation Discounting: Utilizing Family Limited Partnerships (FLPs) to apply "minority interest" or "lack of marketability" discounts to the taxable value of family business interests.

Our Estate Tax Toolbox

Tax law is never static. At Robbins Estate Law, we provide the technical oversight needed to stay ahead of the IRS:

  • Exemption Monitoring: Tracking the "Sunset" of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) to ensure our clients act before the 2026 exemption drop.
  • Basis Step-Up Analysis: Balancing estate tax savings with capital gains tax planning to ensure heirs receive the most favorable "step-up" in basis on Austin real estate.
  • Generation-Skipping Transfer (GST) Planning: Strategically utilizing GST exemptions to protect wealth across multiple generations without a second layer of taxation.
  • Business Succession Tax Planning: Structuring the transition of Austin-based companies to minimize the tax hit during a change in leadership.

Case Study

The "Sunset" Crisis

The Situation: An Austin couple with a $25M portfolio of tech investments and real estate was concerned about the 2026 'sunset' of current tax exemptions. Without planning, their estate faced a potential tax bill exceeding $4M upon the second spouse's death.

The Solution: We implemented a combination of SLATs and GRATs. By transferring high-growth assets now, we utilized their full current exemptions and ensured all future growth of those assets would happen outside of their taxable estate.

The Result: We successfully moved over $10M of future appreciation out of their taxable estate. Their heirs are projected to save millions in federal taxes, and the couple maintained their standard of living through the SLAT structure.

Common Questions (FAQ)

Unless Congress acts, the current high estate tax exemptions created by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are scheduled to be cut in half on January 1, 2026. For Austin families with significant assets, this creates a "use it or lose it" scenario for their current exemptions.

For estates that exceed the exemption limit, the federal estate tax rate is a flat 40%. This is why advanced planning is critical for high-net-worth families in Travis County.

No. Texas currently does not have a state inheritance or estate tax. However, Austin residents are still fully subject to the federal estate tax system.

Yes, but it must be done strategically. We help you utilize the Annual Gift Tax Exclusion and your Lifetime Gift Tax Exemption to move wealth out of your estate without triggering immediate tax payments.

An Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT) is a trust specifically designed to own your life insurance policy. This keeps the payout from being included in your taxable estate, potentially saving your family 40% of the policy's value in taxes.

We are proud to have served thousands of families across Texas. Our Austin office currently maintains a 4.9-star rating based on 127 Google reviews from clients we have assisted with probate, asset protection, and estate taxes.

Protect Your Assets

Schedule a confidential strategy session with our Austin team.

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Your information is 100% confidential.

Kyle Robbins

Attorney Review

"Wealth preservation isn't about hiding assets; it's about following the law to ensure your family’s success for generations to come."

- Kyle Robbins, Esq.

Don't Wait Until the Exemption Drops.

Once the 2026 'sunset' occurs, the most powerful tax mitigation tools will become significantly less effective. Act now to lock in your current protections.
(512) 851-1248