What changes have been made to the Federal generation skipping transfer tax?

Like the estate tax, the skipping transfer tax has been repealed the 2010 tax year. Under the old law, each person could give away during lifetime or at death up to $3,500,000 (the "GST exemption") without owing the generation skipping transfer tax. Any gifts to grandchildren or great-grandchildren (and to certain other persons two or more generations younger than the person making the gift) in excess of the GST exemption would have been subject to the GST tax which was equal to the highest marginal estate tax bracket (45% in 2009). Although the GST tax has been eliminated for 2010, it will be reinstated in 2011, and the available GST exemption will be reduced to its former level of only $1,000,000 (although this amount will be indexed for inflation) and with a 55% rate of tax.

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