A respected international tax planner in Miami, Suzanne DeWitt serves as principal of the consultancy Valora. One of Suzanne DeWitt’s areas of focus is on developing tax-efficient strategies for high-net-worth clients.A recent CNBC article drew attention to the way in which high earners minimize taxes and decrease their effective tax rate in the United States. A core strategy involves defining income, assets, and investments within categories such as taxable, tax-free, and tax-deferred.One major deduction pathway involves contributing money to nonprofits, with the amount that can be deducted having risen from 50 to 60 percent of adjusted gross income. A popular strategy involves setting up conservation easements that protect the natural environment while enabling a charitable deduction for the value of the land.Equity exposure is another tax savings route. Provided that the stocks were held for a year or more, taxes on stock investment gains enjoy a significantly lower rate than wage income. With federal tax brackets assessed on wages reaching as high as 37 percent, those placed on long-term capital gains max out at 20 percent. Other complementary strategies include placing money in long-term trusts that offer estate and gift exemption advantages.
Based in Miami, Suzanne DeWitt guides her own law firm, DeWitt PLLC. She also leads the consultancy Valora, which provides cross-border tax planning services to high-net-worth clients. At Valora, Suzanne DeWitt also applies her in-depth knowledge of business valuation.A key aspect of the valuation process centers on determining the “basis of value,” with taxation, sale, litigation, financial reporting, and acquisition being among the commonly served purposes. The specifics presented reflect the requirements of entities for which the valuation is critical in making informed decisions.The most common type of value premise is that which assumes that the assets of the business will continue to be used, with the entity operating as a business into the future. Valuing aspects of such a business can be impacted by the fact that such valuation may be only one input within a larger process. The overall focus may be one of valuing preferred stock, stock options, or debt and involve numerous entities within an overall holding portfolio.Common links in all valuation processes include the history of the company, as well as its ownership and management structure, and measures historical financial performance.With so many variables in play and many entities holding properties and businesses across borders, it makes sense to seek out experienced legal and financial accounting advice at the outset of any valuation process.
