Is the last year state income tax refund taxable income for the current year federal tax return?

If you itemized deductions in one year, then you would normally take the full amount you had withheld for state income taxes as a deduction in that...

How can I get around setting up an estate for my mother in order to get the life insurance paid out to one of her daughters?

Unfortunately, she does have an estate: it may consist solely of the right to receive life insurance proceeds, but if the default beneficiary on...

Will my mother be able to retain an attorney without a "contesting"? How do we ask for that service when calling attorneys?

Your mother is certainly entitled to have an attorney represent her in her role as a beneficiary of her late husband's Will, and there is no reason...

As long as the Will was validly executed under the laws of the state where it was signed, and as long as the person who signed it resided in that...

What can we do to get money to have a home and can her children stay in the home we own

I can't figure out from your post whether the Will can actually give the stepmother a right to live in the house or not. If you were the actual...

How can we go about finding out who claimed my niece on their tax return and fight it?

You likely won't be able to find out who claimed your niece. If you can prove that you qualify to claim her as a dependent, do so as usual, and...

Can the Estate borrow money to pay the taxes?

Generally speaking, yes. The lender would need to be reimbursed once some of the estate's property is liquidated.

When do the terms begin, for an irrevocable living trust? before or after the settlor dies--or both?

In general, if a trust is irrevocable during the settlor's lifetime, then it begins to operate as soon as it has been created. However, as in the...

Should he continue to keep his W4 as same and not modify it. If so what are the legal issues he can run into?

Ideally, he should update the W-4 to reflect his single status (assuming he didn't remarry). The biggest potential issue is that the withholding...

Would there be a need to probate the will through the court or will a small estate affidavit work as well? Thank you.

Mr. Pittman gave you the correct answer: Georgia has no small estate affidavit. Unfortunately, we do have a couple of options for avoiding probate...