If you split the year between Daytona Beach and a home up north, a Daytona Beach high net worth estate planning lawyer can help you use Florida residency to protect your wealth from taxes your former state still imposes.
We work with affluent seasonal and full-time residents across Volusia County on the strategies a simple will cannot address. For many of our clients, establishing a true Florida domicile is the single most valuable planning step available.
Call our Daytona Beach office at 386-763-2092 to schedule a confidential consultation.
Can Florida Residency Lower Your Estate Tax Exposure?
Yes, and for many snowbirds it is the biggest opportunity on the table. Florida imposes no state estate tax, no inheritance tax, and no state income tax. Several Northern states, however, do tax estates at thresholds far below the federal level.
If your legal domicile is still a state with an estate tax, your heirs may owe that state’s tax even though Florida would not charge a dime. Establishing genuine Florida domicile can remove that exposure entirely.
We help seasonal residents make the move real in the eyes of the law, not just on paper.
| Estate Planning Factor | Florida | Many Northern States |
| State estate tax | None | Often applies below $7 million |
| State income tax | None | Common |
| Homestead creditor protection | Unlimited (constitutional) | Usually limited |
What Does It Take to Establish Florida Domicile?
Florida domicile is about more than a winter address. Courts and tax authorities look at where you actually make your life, and a former state may challenge the change if the signals are mixed.
Steps that support a domicile change include filing a Florida Declaration of Domicile, obtaining a Florida driver’s license and voter registration, and spending the majority of your time in the state. Where you bank, worship, and keep your most important possessions also matters.
We coordinate the documentation and titling so your Florida domicile holds up if a former state questions it.
Do You Still Need Advanced Planning With the Higher Exemption?
Yes. As of January 1, 2026, the federal estate and gift tax exemption is $15 million per person, or $30 million for a married couple, made permanent under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Estates above those amounts are still taxed at a top federal rate of 40 percent.
The higher exemption removed the old deadline pressure, but state estate taxes and asset protection still drive planning for affluent families. The Internal Revenue Service publishes current estate and gift tax figures at irs.gov. We build plans that stay effective as your wealth and the law evolve.
What Strategies Do High Net Worth Estate Plans Use?
High net worth planning coordinates tax planning, asset protection, and wealth transfer into one structure. It goes well beyond a will and a power of attorney.
Strategies we implement include:
- Revocable living trusts to avoid probate and maintain privacy
- Irrevocable trusts to remove appreciating assets from the taxable estate
- Irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs) to keep insurance proceeds estate-tax-free
- Dynasty trusts to pass wealth across generations
- Lifetime gifting strategies using the annual exclusion
- Charitable trusts that combine giving with tax efficiency
The right combination depends on your assets, your family, and your goals. Florida’s protective homestead and trust laws, described in the Florida Statutes at flsenate.gov, are part of what makes the state so favorable.
Call 386-763-2092 or contact us online to discuss your estate planning goals.
Do Not Overlook Portability
Portability lets a surviving spouse use the deceased spouse’s unused federal exemption, preserving up to $30 million in combined shelter. It is one of the most valuable and most frequently missed opportunities in estate planning.
The catch is that portability is not automatic. The executor must file a federal estate tax return (Form 706) within the required window after the first spouse’s death, even when no tax is owed. Missing that filing can forfeit millions in future shelter, and we make sure it is handled.
Who Handles High Net Worth Estate Planning at Our Daytona Beach Office
David Pilcher
David Pilcher is an estate planning and probate attorney at Bogin Munns & Munns whose career has focused exclusively on estate planning and probate law. He serves Volusia County clients from our Orange City office, along with Orlando, Clermont, and Kissimmee, on wills, trusts, and comprehensive strategies to protect assets and transfer wealth efficiently.
He is an active member of The Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section and its Business Law Section, and a lifelong Floridian admitted to The Florida Bar in 1994. Before law, he earned a degree in Computer Science and worked for major companies including IBM, experience that informs his work with complex, asset-heavy estates. He is also fluent in Spanish.
Our Daytona Beach office is at 1616 Concierge Blvd, Suite 200. Consultations are confidential.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Estate and tax planning depend on individual circumstances and current law. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Ready to Talk to a Daytona Beach High Net Worth Estate Planning Attorney?
For families who divide their time between Florida and a higher-tax state, the planning you do now can protect millions later. Establishing domicile and structuring your assets works best when it is done deliberately and reviewed as your life changes.
We work with high net worth individuals and families across Volusia County from our Daytona Beach office at 1616 Concierge Blvd, Suite 200.
Bogin Munns & Munns also handles probate, real estate, business law, and civil litigation, giving affluent clients coordinated counsel under one roof.
Call 386-763-2092 or contact our Daytona Beach office online to schedule a confidential consultation.
