Tax Season Is Estate Planning Season: What’s Changed in 2026 and What to Do Now
Most advisors wait until year-end to discuss estate planning. But April is actually one of the best months to open these conversations — clients are already financially engaged, and the rules just changed. Join to learn more about OBBBA changes, income tax efficiency strategies, gifting frameworks, and a spring audit checklist.
Speakers
Jennifer Raess, JD, CFP®, CLU®
Associate General Counsel, Vanilla
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Speakers
Jennifer Raess, JD, CFP®, CLU®
Associate General Counsel, Vanilla
In this session, Jennifer Raess, JD, CFP®, CLU®, Associate General Counsel at Vanilla, breaks down the permanent estate and gift tax changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the shift toward income tax efficiency as the primary planning lever for many HNW clients, and a practical spring estate plan audit framework advisors can use with clients this month.
What we’ll cover:
- What the OBBBA permanently changed and and which client plans may now be outdated or counterproductive
- Why income tax efficiency has become the primary planning lever for many HNW clients in 2026
- How to use the annual gift tax exclusion ($19K) and QCDs ($111K) as proactive tax-season tools
- What the new charitable deduction floor means for clients using DAFs and CRTs
- The five estate planning gaps advisors most commonly miss and how to spot them this spring
What you’ll walk away with:
- A clear understanding of how the OBBBA’s permanent changes affect HNW estate plans — and which plans to flag for review
- A spring estate plan audit checklist you can run with clients this month
Submitted for 1.0 CFP® CE credit.