wonder if they still think they aren't paying enough taxes???
Posted on 11/22/2011 2:40:27 PM PST by TSgt
When Steve Jobs died last month, he left $6.78 billion of stock in both Apple and Disney presumably to his wife and family. His widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, may not have a better time to sell off the billions of stock and avoid $867 million in capital gains taxes.
Financial planners told Bloomberg that Powell Jobs and the family should quickly divest and diversify its holdings to avoid higher taxes.
Capital gains taxes are set to rise in 2013 from 15 to 20 percent, and Americans with a high income may also be subjected to a 3.8 percent tax on unearned gains.
Jobs died on Oct. 5 at the age of 56. At his death, he owned 138 million Disney shares, or 7.4 percent of the company, approximately valued at $4.74 billion and 5.55 million Apple shares worth $2.05 billion.
Before his death, Jobs moved the shares into a trust to avoid probate fees. However, his will hasn't been made public, but it's likely most of his estate is distributed between his surviving wife and four children.
“I can’t see any reason not to sell all of it,” Kacy Gott, chief planning officer at the wealth-management firm Aspiriant, told Bloomberg.
Analysts said the Apple holdings would be sold easily, but the volume of Disney shares would be more difficult to unload. Disney bought Jobs' Pixar in 2006 for $7 billion in stock.
Candace Pugatch, a spokeswoman for Laurene Powell Jobs, declined to comment on her tax situation or what she plans to do with Apple or Disney shares.
Powell Jobs has a master's degree in business administration from Stanford University, but is reportedly not interested in taking her husband's seats on the Apple or Disney board.
If Powell Jobs has no interest in the running of Apple, then selling off billions of dollars of Apple stock would be a no-brainer.
Both her and her family are likely far from destitute, so they don't need capital right now, but current tax laws mean she will likely sell off a large chunk of it before 2013.
That could mean millions of shares will be on the open market and possibly in the hands of private equity groups -- likely not Steve Jobs' or Apple's ideal scenario.
Maybe this will spotlight how unfair the estate tax is...
Too funny.
Joe Robbie’s family was forced to sell the Miami Dolphins and Joe Robbie stadium to pay off inheritance taxes.
Hey feds, F you.
It’s double taxation a these funds already have been taxed.
Gee, being a billionaire is just so hard.
(I am opposed to taxes on property left by deceased family members by the way)
What’s the problem - he made money, he owes taxes. Of course that is the current estate tax - ie. double taxation.
Maybe the Democrats are hoping of many mulch-millionaires to dies before changes are made...geez...
It’s the 1% getting screwed again.
They better sell some shares now to hedge any decline and be ready to write a large check.
If he left it all to his wife, there is no estate tax, and she gets a basis step-up, so she can sell it tax-free.
Someone alert Warren Buffet ... This is how he made his money ,, piggybacking on forced tax sales ...
Didn’t Steve Jobs consistently support Dem candidates and Dem causes?
How ironic...........
This is just a purely speculative article. They can sell, sure, or they can keep it.
Big woop. they certainly are NOT “forced to sell”; that is nonsense.
Yeah, exept the $10 Million combined exemption expires in 2013 and although that may not be a big deal in Mr. Job’s estate, the estate tax rate increases to 55% and that is a big deal. So the question is: should the widow Jobs intentionally expose part of the estate to a 35% estate tax rate this year, but avoid any further tax on that portion at her death, or avoid any tax now but expose the estate to a 55% tax on her death?
I would lay down an enormous bet that she won’t sell a single share. All those years....he could have sold shares and he didn’t. I would suspect that he gave her precise instructions and there is an agenda/plan.
As libs shouldn’t they be paying twice what us Conservatives pay? Better yet, give it all to your gummit.
Pray for America
good gravy!
she’ll still be a billionaire.
This is not an estate tax issue. It is an income tax issue (specifically a capital gains).
Jobs’ tax basis in the stock was whatever he paid for it. If he had sold it before he died, he would have been taxed on the gain. The heirs’ tax basis in inherited stock is the fair market value of the stock as of the date of Jobs’ death. They can sell now without any capital gains (if the stock never goes up in price, they will never have any capital gains).
The only point of the article is that they should sell now so they can diversify their holdings, rather than keep it all in just Apple and Disney stock.
wonder if they still think they aren't paying enough taxes???
This is why I’m glad I’m not wealthy. I don’t have these concerns.
Rich people have problems in areas where I don’t have areas.
they get what THEY VOTE FOR
It has also ceased to be a representative Republic and has turned into a sure to fail Democracy.
The Founders didn't put a right to vote into the Constitution for a very simple reason; they didn't want imbeciles, those under 21, and lazy parasites to be enfranchised, in fact warned against it, leaving the States to determine who could cast ballots.
"Democracies have been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their death." James Madison
Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. John Adams: letter to John Taylor, April 15, 1814
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.:Thomas Jefferson
This government will fall, and the New Republic which will rise in it's place will limit the franchise, incorporate term limits, and ensure dueling is legal.
X 6
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