Estate & Wealth Planning · U.S.–Italy
Plan the ownership, succession and tax position as one legacy.
Cross-border estate and wealth planning for private clients, internationally mobile families, founders and business owners with connected interests in Italy and the United States.
Who we advise
A legacy is a legal, tax and family system.
Residence, domicile, citizenship, asset location, matrimonial property, beneficiary relationships and business ownership may produce different consequences in Italy and the United States. Planning begins by mapping those connections before selecting instruments.
International families
Family members, homes, investments and beneficiaries connected to both countries.
Private clients
Cross-border assets, lifetime transfers, succession exposure and reporting reviewed together.
Founders & owners
Business continuity, governance, control and family succession coordinated with personal planning.
Trusts & family structures
Existing or proposed structures reviewed for recognition, taxation, reporting and administrative feasibility.
Connected workstreams
Planning starts with people, assets and governing law.
Estate & Inheritance Exposure
Residence, domicile, citizenship, situs and potential Italian and U.S. transfer-tax connections mapped.
Succession Architecture
Wills, beneficiary designations, forced-heirship considerations and administration reviewed across both systems.
Lifetime Gifts
Donor, recipient, asset location, valuation, reporting and future basis consequences assessed before transfer.
Trust Review
Formation, residence, classification, control, distributions and disclosure obligations examined jurisdiction by jurisdiction.
Family Business Continuity
Ownership, governance, voting rights, liquidity and succession sequencing aligned with the family plan.
Philanthropy & Purpose
Charitable objectives, vehicle recognition, deductibility, governance and cross-border implementation tested before commitment.
U.S.–Italy corridor
Two succession systems. One connected estate map.
Civil-law succession, U.S. estate planning, domestic transfer taxes and any available treaty relief must be analyzed separately and then reconciled.
Italy
- Succession and forced-heirship framework
- Inheritance and gift tax connections
- Asset location and valuation
- Matrimonial property and family relationships
- Trust recognition, taxation and reporting
United States
- Federal estate and gift tax status
- Citizenship, domicile and situs analysis
- State estate or inheritance tax where relevant
- Basis, lifetime gifts and information reporting
- Trust classification and beneficiary reporting
Engagement sequence
Architecture before documentation.
Matter Review
Family, jurisdictions, timing, assets and immediate risks are screened.
Strategic Assessment
Ownership, succession, tax, reporting and governance connections are mapped.
Implementation
Legal, tax and administrative workstreams are assigned to the professionals responsible for each scope.
Continuity Review
Material family, residence, asset and legal changes are reviewed when engaged.
Representative matters
The kinds of legacy complexity we are structured to coordinate.
U.S. and Italian family members inheriting assets in both countries
Mapping succession rights, transfer taxes, asset administration, basis and reporting before implementation.
Family business ownership moving to the next generation
Coordinating governance, control, liquidity, lifetime transfers and estate consequences across the corridor.
Existing U.S. trust with an Italian-resident beneficiary
Reviewing classification, control, distributions, documentation and reporting under both systems.
Illustrative, anonymized profiles describing categories of work rather than client outcomes or specific advice.
Professional responsibility
Strategic planning with defined legal and professional authority.
ITA coordinates the cross-border analysis. Wills, trusts, deeds, valuations, tax returns, investment activity and other regulated work remain with the appropriately qualified professional engaged for that jurisdiction and scope.
No predetermined structureTrusts, companies, foundations or gifts are considered only after facts and objectives are defined.
Substance & controlOwnership, governance and actual administration must support the intended legal and tax treatment.
TreatyAny treaty relief depends on the covered tax, status, asset and procedural requirements; it is not automatic.
Living planResidence, citizenship, family events, asset composition and law changes may require the architecture to be revisited.
Frequently asked questions
Estate planning questions without shortcuts.
Which country may tax a cross-border inheritance?
Does an Italian will work for U.S. assets?
Can forced-heirship rules affect an international family?
How is a U.S. trust treated when a beneficiary lives in Italy?
Should lifetime gifts be made before a relocation?
Request review
A lasting plan begins with the complete family and asset picture.
Submit the family connections, jurisdictions, principal assets, existing structures and intended succession objectives for an initial fit and scope review.