Democrats, Estate Planners up in Arms Over Proposed Estate Tax Changes

Dec. 8, 2010 — -- Frank Borman has flown around the moon. He's run a major airline. But darned if he can figure out his own estate planning.

The retired astronaut recently took time out from shopping at Costco to shake his fist at Washington. "It's very, very frustrating — the uncertainty," he says.

Two years ago the estate tax was 55%, with the first $1 million exempt. Then, in 2010, the rate fell temporarily to zero. But on January 1st, it's slated to become 35% on any amount over $5 million. And just because President Obama and the Republican leadership have arrived at a compromise, of course, doesn't mean it will find the votes to become law.

Indeed, a number of House Democrats told ABC News after their members caucused Tuesday night, that the estate tax provision is the element that is causing the most resistance to the tax cut compromise endorsed by President Obama and Congressional Republicans.

Even if the compromise is passed, the new rules would apply only for two years.

"What's going to happen after that?" asks Borman. "I'm 83. Who knows how long I've got?"

It's the lack of long-term certainty that has testators testy.

A child of the Depression, Borman says he started out with nothing. "Now I'm trying to make certain that as much of the moderate wealth I've accumulated gets passed on to my descendants."

It irks him, he says, that the estate tax has become a political football. "Listening to (Illinois Sen. Richard) Durbin and (House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi makes me sick, and (Montana Sen. Max) Baucus is no better."

Being able to bequeath $5 million tax free is better than $1 million. But the whirligig of changing temporary rates has left him unsure how to proceed. "It's too complicated for a mere mortal," Borman complains.

His estate advisor, Eric Anderson of Anderson & Heard in Billings, Mont., says his other clients are similarly flummoxed: Should they make an asset transfer before the end of the year? What's the applicable gift tax? Can they give assets to grandchildren without a generation-skipping transfer tax occurring at a later date?