Planned Gift Design Services
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advisor to the advisor
Russ offers consulting services to licensed professionals working with nonprofits, donors, and their advisors in structuring contributions of business and real property interests to serve the mutual advantage of all parties.

He also provides in-depth research into and critical analysis of a variety of nontax legal issues relating to trusts, decedents' estates, and future interests. He drafts trial and appellate briefs for lawyers engaged in litigating these matters.

Here is what some of his consulting clients are saying about his work:
  • planning and drafting
"he has a deep familiarity with the law, both tax and nontax, surrounding intergenerational wealth transfers"
"he gives meticulous attention to detail"
"he crafts language that is customized to the client's unique requirements"
"he provides clear, written explanations how the plan works and what the documents are intended to achieve"
  • research and writing
"he has a solid understanding of the underlying policies"
"his writing is clear and concise"
"he knows where to look, and what it means when he finds it"
  • forensics/briefwriting
"he is able to immediately grasp a problem in its complexity, and to recognize what questions it raises"
"he knows how to build an evidentiary narrative, how to frame a persuasive argument"
"he situates the argument in its policy context"
  • actuarial factors
Russ provides accurate calculations of actuarial factors used in
  • funding or surrendering a gift annuity,
  • reporting a split-interest gift,
  • commuting or accelerating a portion or all of a charitable remainder trust,
  • assigning a portion or all of a gift annuity to the issuing charity,
  • valuing a retained life estate,
  • discounting the remainder gift in a GRAT,
  • converting a QPRT to a GRAT,
among other, similar transactions.
  • return preparation/review
Russ also prepares a variety of returns, and reviews draft returns prepared by others.  These include
  • 5227s for charitable remainder trusts
  • 1041s/5227s for charitable lead trusts
  • 990-PFs for private foundations
  • 709s for reportable gifts
  • 706s for reportable estates and/or to preserve DSUEA
  • 1041s for decedents' probate estates and for nongrantor irrevocable trusts
and any related state returns. Russ does not prepare 1040s for compensation.