BNA Estate Tax Planner

BNA Estate Tax Planner

BNA's Estate Tax Planner for Windows shows its excellent heritage from the start. Calculating estate tax scenarios can be more than just complicated, and preparation of anything more than a routine vanilla estate plan underscores the need for visual interpretation to benefit client understanding. This requirement is coupled with the user's need to readily interpret and manipulate the client's data. BNA's Estate Tax Planner software product fulfills these requirements in an excellent package.

The software's DOS roots are evident in the Windows version of the program, with data entry driven more by keystroke commands than menu items. Despite this, the power of the package is obvious; calculations are virtually invisible, regardless of the complexity of the intercalculations or the data provided. Planning scenarios for each client are limited to six per client (three per couple), with varying assumptions, including generation skipping and se-
lection of life expectancy.

There are an amazing number of worksheet options on which to enter, interpret and view client data. The available worksheets include details regarding Qualified Employer Plans and IRAs, Discounts, Section 6166 Interrelated Interest Deduction, Family Business Deduction, Marital Deduction, Charitable Deduction, Non-Residuary Trust Bequests, Non-Residuary and Residuary Funds, Entries for Prior Included Gifts and much, much more. These are just the starting worksheets, as greater detail can be provided on up to 50 user-defined worksheets, available as required.

I was specifically impressed with the program's ability to perform both Section 6166 and Family Business Deduction calculations, including varying payment periods, without effort. The formulas for these can be quite arduous and this type of complex interpretation evidences the maturity of the program as well as the skill of the authors behind it. Another interesting feature was a worksheet called Future Excluded Gifts, which lets you demonstrate the effect of a regular gifting plan on an estate plan. The worksheet will show an annual gift between the gift date and death, and will deduct the gift from the calculations of future estate valuation. There are even calculations for excess retirement accumulations as part of the Qualified Plan/IRA worksheets, which become effortless with BNA's program.

Printing was easy; select print from the file menu, and the program will automatically select all active worksheets. If a detail worksheet is not active, a mouse click will include it in your printed materials. The program generates a table of contents, describing the location of the various schedules and the information they contain. The printed presentation also includes an index which cross references the material covered in the plan.

BNA's Estate Tax Planner for Windows is a complete planning package, particularly useful for those practitioners whose clients require more than just the garden-variety estate plan.

BNA Software
(800) 372-1033
www.bnasoftware.com
Windows

$995

Reviewed by Denise Ward, attorney, Grean & Ward, Port Chester, N.Y.

Feb/Mar '99 Issue

PROS
Can handle even the most complex calculations with ease.

CONS
Can be overly complex for simple estate plans.

VERDICT
Complete and competent package.