Redd Provides Insight on 2026 Estate and Trust Planning Landscape in Trusts & Estates

02.13.2026

Stinson LLP Partner Clary Redd authored a column for Trusts & Estates examining the legislative and judicial developments shaping estate and trust planning in 2026.

Redd opens the column with an overview of the estate planning-related provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), formally known as H.R. 1, which was signed into law on July 4, 2025. He explores how OBBBA-related changes may affect tax and estate planning strategies, including the basic exclusion amount, the SALT deduction, charitable income tax deductions, itemized deduction restrictions, qualified small business stock, qualified business income, and qualified opportunity funds. Redd's discussion highlights both planning opportunities and areas of increased complexity for practitioners and fiduciaries.

The column also underscores the importance of precision in estate tax elections through an examination of two 2025 Tax Court cases. Redd analyzes Estate of Rowland v. Commissioner to illustrate the consequences of a defective portability election and Estate of Griffin v. Commissioner to demonstrate how a relatively small QTIP election misstep can result in forfeiture of the marital deduction. Together, these cases serve as cautionary examples for estate planning professionals navigating a complicated and evolving tax landscape.

Redd has a preeminent, national reputation for developing and implementing unique solutions to complex problems, resolving intra-family disputes efficiently and sensitively, and providing practical advice for current and future generations. He works on complex estates, trusts and estate planning projects, and is deeply involved in the intertwined legal and practical aspects of wealth preservation and transmission.

Read the full column.