Trust Me Webinar Series

Donna first encountered tax issues as a teenage forestry major in a forest economics course at Oregon State University. A few educational twists and turns eventually led her to Temple Law School in Philadelphia, where she discovered her passion for tax law. She joined the tax section of a large Philadelphia law firm, Morgan Lewis, and was quickly recruited to serve as an adjunct law professor—launching a 23-year full-time teaching career.

She now holds the title of Emerita Professor of Law at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, MN, where she taught tax courses as well as Property, Estates and Trusts, and Food Law. (Emerita signifies she left on good terms and remains respected by the institution.) Donna began preparing tax returns as a volunteer long before computers were common in the office. Today, she owns Ash Creek Tax & Legal Services LLC in Monmouth, Oregon, providing tax preparation, estate planning, and taxpayer representation since 2016.

I am an Enrolled Agent and also work with Continuing Education for tax professionals nationwide.

Jaye E Tritz, EA, CFP ® holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and hasrecently retired from active tax practice. She was formerly a multi-unit franchise ownerwith H&R Block, having been twice honored as National Franchisee of the Year by thatcompany. During her thirty-one-year career as a tax preparer, she earned her EnrolledAgent designation in 1997 and became an NTPI Fellow in 2010. Jaye is also a CertifiedFinancial Planner and holds Series 6, 7, and 63 securities licenses. Jaye has been anationally recognized instructor and presenter for over 15 years.

Ruth advises individuals and families on estate planning and business planning opportunities, concentrating on international plans.Ruth’s work includes advising U.S. persons who hold foreign assets, helping U.S. persons to receive gifts in a tax-efficient manner, advising non-U.S. persons regarding how to hold U.S. real property, and administering multinational estates and trusts. All of Ruth’s advice is focused on U.S. planning. This can include the creative use of domestic or foreign trusts and business entities to accomplish client goals. Ruth enjoys working with local families on purely domestic plans as well.Ruth frequently collaborates with other advisors to develop a plan that works in all relevant jurisdictions. They have advised U.S. beneficiaries of foreign trusts regarding their U.S. tax positions and reporting requirements. Ruth works with foreign counsel to resolve problems that arise for foreign beneficiaries of U.S. trusts. Ruth advises families regarding gifts from non-U.S. persons to U.S. beneficiaries. Ruth also advises U.S. persons and trustees worldwide regarding information reporting obligations including the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA), Forms 3520 and 3520-A, and the Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR). Ruth also advises local families and business owners regarding tax-efficient gifting strategies. Ruth is a lecturer at Boston University School of Law’s Graduate Tax Program and co-developed a new course on U.S. information reporting. Ruth frequently writes and speaks on topics related to international estate planning and U.S. taxation. In their spare time they enjoy travel, comedy, and learning foreign languages. Ruth has lived in Warsaw, Poland and in Oxford, England and has a working knowledge of Polish, Spanish, and German.