[VA Advogado]

Please folks, retain competent estate planning counsel and don't rely on goofy tips that can end up costing you money or land you in jail (doesn't it occur to people that "cleaning out the safe deposit box before the bank finds out about the death" is tax evasion, a real, actual, bona fide CRIME?).

How in the world could you imply that is tax evasion? Its no different than having a diamond ring in the house. The point is ACCESS, not evasion. You clearly have a criminal mind and little intelligence.

[LikeLight]

In my state, the safe deposit box contents cannot be removed until an inventory is completed via the state authorities, for inheritance tax documentation purposes (i.e. whatever was in the box must be accounted for on the death tax return). Perhaps this was not the intention of the poster who suggested cleaning out the box, but from my experience, that's exactly what some clients are thinking - if we can get our hands on this stuff, "no one ever has to know about it". Which is exactly why the state requires the inventory, to stop inheritance tax evasion.