If you're preparing your estate, you need to have the right team members. You might think your best team member will be your attorney. But that's not the case. Before you sit down with an estate attorney, you need to hire an accountant. An accountant might be the most important member of the team. This is especially true where your assets are concerned. Read the list provided below. Here are four reasons to hire an accountant when you're working on your estate plans. 

Reduce Taxes

When it comes to preparing your estate plan, you need to consider the tax implications. You might not realise this, but every decision you make will have an impact on your estate taxes. Some of those decisions will affect the taxes you pay. Other decisions will affect the taxes your loved ones pay once you're gone. That's why you need to hire an accountant. Your accountant will work to reduce all your estate taxes. That leaves more money for you and more money for your loved ones. 

Establish Trusts

If you're going to put assets into trusts for some of your loved ones, now's the time to hire an accountant. One of the great things about trusts is that you can continue to use your own assets. Once you've passed away, those trusts are passed on to your loved ones. But you need to make sure that your trust accounts are set up the right way. That's where your accountant comes into the picture. Your accountant will ensure that your trust accounts are set up in a way to protect you and your family. 

Determine Values

When you set up your estate plan, you need to account for the value of all your assets. That's difficult to do when you're not familiar with asset valuation. To make sure the right values are assigned to all your assets, you need to hire an accountant. They'll ensure accurate valuation for all your assets. They'll also help with the division of your assets. 

Prepare Beneficiaries

If you have a large estate, you need to know that your loved ones are prepared for the responsibility. You also need to know that your loved ones have help with the management of their funds. That's why you need to hire an accountant right away. Your accountant can help prepare your beneficiaries ahead of time. They can also provide continued support once you've passed away.

To learn more, reach out to a local accountant.