Comedian Robin Williams once said that it is important to keep laughing, it is the only thing the government hasn’t figured out how to tax. Consider the estate and gift taxes. The reality is that our overly complicated tax code has too many ambiguities.

The estate tax is a tax placed on the value of a person’s estate when they die. Life insurance policies, anuities, IRAs, 401(k)s and real and personal property are included as part of you gross estate.

Proper estate planning can help maximize the gifts a person wishes to share when they die and minimize the percentage that finds its way back to the federal government via estate and gift taxes. A professional financial advisor can help you maximize your investment dollars over your lifetime and help preserve those assets for the benefit of others.