Mid-Range Estate Planning: Roth Conversions and Multi-Year Coordination

At this asset level, professional planning clearly pays for itself. Roth conversion strategies, basis documentation, and coordinating sales timing across years can save tens of thousands. You've reached the point where a CPA doing proactive multi-year advisory work is worth the investment.

Federal estate tax is still not a factor -- the exemption is $15 million per person in 2026. But at this level, the planning payoff is real.

Where the value is:

• Roth conversions become particularly worthwhile. Converting inherited retirement accounts in lower-bracket years, rather than all at once, can save tens of thousands over a multi-year window.
• The basis step-up on investments and real estate is worth careful documentation. The potential tax savings are proportionally larger here -- selling an inherited home or portfolio with outdated basis records can mean overpaying significantly.
• Multi-year coordination starts to matter. When you sell assets, when you convert, and how you time distributions all interact with each other and with your filing status change.

State estate or inheritance taxes may apply depending on where you live. Oregon's threshold starts around $1 million; other states vary.

The tradeoff: You're in the range where professional planning clearly pays for itself, but you need a CPA who does proactive multi-year planning -- not just annual returns.