ARTICLE | October 15, 2026
No two high-net-worth families have the same financial picture. Income streams vary -- some driven by business ownership, others by investment portfolios, trust distributions, or professional compensation. Estate structures differ. Charitable priorities differ. Timing of major transactions differs. That complexity is exactly why sophisticated tax and financial planning cannot be reduced to a checklist, and why the quality of your advisory relationship matters as much as the strategies themselves.
As we move through the second half of 2026, there are several areas that deserve thoughtful attention for affluent families. The OBBBA has established a new estate and gift tax exemption landscape -- approximately $15 million per individual -- that may require revisiting strategies built around earlier assumptions. Investment decisions made before year-end, including tax-loss harvesting, Roth conversions, and gifts of appreciated assets, carry meaningful tax implications that are best addressed with a clear plan rather than a reactive scramble. Charitable giving strategies, trust distribution timing, and qualified charitable distributions from IRAs for those 70.5 or older are also worth reviewing in the context of your broader goals.
"For high-net-worth families, year-end planning is about much more than reducing this year's tax bill," says Cindy Grieco, Tax Partner at KHA Accountants. "It is about coordinating investment decisions, estate planning, charitable giving, and income timing in a way that reduces lifetime taxes and protects what you have built. That kind of planning is most valuable when it is ongoing -- not something you revisit once a year under pressure."
At KHA Accountants, we have spent more than 50 years building the kind of deep, personalized advisory relationships that complex financial situations require. We work alongside high-net-worth individuals and families not just as tax preparers, but as strategic partners who understand the full picture -- and who are invested in outcomes that extend well beyond any single tax year.