Planning to achieve personal and family financial goals is essential in today's complex business environment. DDK & Company LLP's Personal Finance Services (PFS) program provides assistance in asset management, retirement planning, estate planning, and family financial planning.

One area of planning that is often overlooked until it is too late is estate planning. With marginal tax rates at the federal level beginning at 41% for taxable estates over $1,000,000 (in 2002) and rising to 50% for estates over $2,500,000, estate planning can be the most cost-effective means of saving additional money for your heirs. Such planning goes well beyond an annual gifting program, extending to the creation of family limited partnerships and charitable trusts and foundations, among many other planning opportunities. DDK & Company LLP's estate planning group, which includes several attorneys, will propose a comprehensive plan to reduce estate and gift taxes to the greatest extent possible while still achieving various other goals that you may have.

One of the most difficult tasks that individuals and families face is managing their finances wisely over a long period of time. Purchasing a home, paying for your children's education and funding your retirement can seem daunting when considered alone, and overwhelming when considered together. DDK & Company LLP's highly trained Personal Financial Services staff can help you to plan for these and other of life's highly complex and burdensome financial transactions. Our services run the gamut, from simple, yet bothersome, tasks such as paying your bills and balancing your checkbook, to evaluating the financial and tax implications of various potential investment decisions, to lifelong financial planning with annual reviews and updates.

Every year the Congress passes new tax legislation and, with the stroke of a pen, the President adds numerous new tax provisions to the already complex Internal Revenue Code. Whether you are an individual just starting your professional career, baby-boomer parents with children to educate, an elderly couple near or in retirement, or the owner or manager of any sized business, you are undoubtedly aware of the awesome complexity of our system of taxation. It is virtually impossible for any taxpayer to keep informed regarding the numerous tax planning opportunities available, or with the tax pitfalls to avoid. That's where DDK & Company LLP's expert and experienced Tax Department shines. We won't just prepare your return. We will look for every opportunity to save your hard-earned dollars this year, next year, and even in past years.

Every Spring you see the same thing - numerous television stories showing dazed people trying to complete their returns, or perhaps on a long line at the Post Office at 11 P.M. on April 15, accountants or lawyers offering complex tax advice in 15-second sound bites, or IRS officials proclaiming the "newer, friendlier IRS." The annual process of filing your tax returns is surely part of tax compliance, whether you are an individual, business manager or charitable organization. However, compliance is much more than merely filing one annual return. Other elements of this process performed by DDK & Company LLP's seasoned Tax Department include filing quarterly estimates, preparing projections, filing refund requests or protective claims, preparing returns so that they are less likely to be examined, answering inquiries and payment demands, and representing clients in meetings with federal, state and local tax officials. In short, if any governmental entity requires you to file a form or provide information, DDK & Company LLP will help you do it in the least costly and burdensome manner possible.