Our death and possibility of developing an incapacitating illness are not pleasant things to think about. But planning for them, however, must be addressed.We are going to run a four part series of Tax Tips that will highlight some of the primary legal steps you should consider. NOTE: We are NOT attorneys. Please consult with an attorney before following any of these suggestions

True, most Americans (56 percent) have “a negative reaction” to doing their income taxes and 26 percent say they “hate” doing them – but there’s still 34 percent who also say they either like (29 percent) or love (5 percent) doing their taxes, according to a pre-Tax Day survey of 1,003 adults done by the Pew Research Center.

The nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation recently announced a study showing 51% of American households had no federal income tax in 2009. Also, about 30% of households received refund checks in excess of their tax withholdings. This is due to refundable credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Home Buyer’s Credit, etc. (For a closer look at tax credits please refer to TTW #87).

Starting with those who had birthdays in July 2011, the SSA is going to discontinue mailing these annual projected benefit statements. It is expected to save $30 million, this fiscal year, and $60 million, next fiscal year, by ending the mailings.

The recently enacted 2012-2013 budget that Gov. Kasich signed into law includes a provision that eliminates the Ohio estate tax. Before this repeal, Ohio taxed anyone who died with assets above $338,333 at a tax rate of up to 7%. This was the lowest exemption amount of any state in the United States.