Conservation Easements: Many individuals look for planning strategies which can reduce their tax liability. Each of these strategies carries its own combination of risk and reward. 

Properly understanding and mitigating risks can add comfort for clients and advisors. Conservation easements have been around for decades and are a great way to mitigate one’s taxes while at the same time achieve green, sustainable, and socially responsible initiatives. We will explore the key structural elements of conservation easements, and discuss how a taxpayer can use these benefits as part of their tax planning and investment strategy.

Lisa Kelly, CPA, Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program, Inc., Atlanta, Ga. Georgia’s Education Expense Credit: • The nature of the program • The evolution of the program: problems and remedies • The impact in Georgia, six years after the credit became law • Incredible popularity of this opportunity

Steve Rothschild, State Tax Credit Exchange, Atlanta, Ga. Learn more about transferable state tax credits. What are they? Why do they exist? What types are available (i.e. film credits)? How does it work? What is the benefit? When does the taxpayer need to buy? What are the risks? Who should be buying them? /p>