Estates, business and tax.
Estate work, how property is titled, and the business and tax matters that sit next to them, with an attorney who is also a CPA.
Estates.
Dave’s practice includes estate work alongside real estate. Ryan Curran brings the tax side of estates and trusts from his work as a CPA.
Estate questions often start with real estate: who owns the house, and what happens to it. How you take title decides a lot of that.
Three ways to hold title in New Jersey
| How title is held | When an owner dies | Selling a share |
|---|---|---|
| Tenants in commonAny co-owners | The share passes to the owner’s heirs or under their will, not to the other owners. | Each owner can sell or give away their share. |
| Joint tenantsAny co-owners | The share passes automatically to the surviving owner. | An owner can sell or give away their share without the others’ consent. |
| Tenants by the entiretyMarried couples only | The property passes automatically to the surviving spouse. | Neither spouse can sell or give away their interest without the other’s consent. |
Unless the deed says otherwise, two married owners take title as tenants by the entirety and two unmarried owners as tenants in common. Taxes and inheritance can change the right answer, so decide before closing.
Ryan S. Curran, CPA, JD
Managing Attorney
Business and tax.
Ryan Curran is an attorney and a CPA licensed in New York and New Jersey. His experience includes:
- Tax planning and compliance for closely held businesses and individuals
- Resolution of federal and state tax issues, including sales and income tax audits, offers in compromise, installment agreements and penalty abatement
- The financial side of buying and selling real estate and business interests, fundraising and financial projections
Tax returns and bookkeeping are handled by Curran & Company LLP, the CPA firm Ryan founded, which is a separate firm.
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