Estate Planning for Retirement Accounts

As retirement accounts, including 401(k), 403(b), IRAs and Roth IRAs, have become the dominant way to save for retirement, they may make up an increasingly large share of a family’s assets.  Because of this, retirement accounts are one of the more important parts of an estate plan.  Due to the special tax treatment of retirement […]

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Intern or Associate Wanted

Plager, Krug, Bauer, Rudolph & Stodden, Ltd. is seeking a law student or recent law graduate to join the firm as an intern or associate.  If you are interested in joining our general civil practice serving the people and businesses of Northwest Illinois, please send a resume, transcript, and writing sample to 10 North Galena […]

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Illinois Law Update

A number of new laws were passed in the recently completed legislative session.  The noteworthy laws include: Dog Breed Insurance Underwriting Protection Act: The Act, which took effect June 9, 2023, prohibits insurers from canceling, charging an increase in premiums, or refusing to issue or renew homeowner’s or renter’s liability insurance policies based solely on […]

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2023 Tax Updates

Each year brings updates to the federal  tax exemptions and mileage reimbursement rates. The annual exclusion amount for gifts in 2023 increases to $17,000 per recipient. This means that individuals can make gifts of up to $17,000 to any number of recipients without being required to report the gifts to the IRS. The federal estate […]

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Hobby vs Business

If you are engaged in an activity that you do for the enjoyment of the activity but also make money, it is important to understand whether it is a business or hobby for tax purposes.  The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has different tax treatment for businesses and hobbies. It’s important to understand the difference for […]

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Employment Law Update

Paid Leave for All Act Illinois has recently enacted the Paid Leave for All Workers Act guaranteeing all employees in the state a minimum of five paid days of leave each year.  Illinois is the third state to mandate paid leave in the nation. Employees may take the required leave for any reason, and employers […]

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