I second Leslies comment. I ordered several things from Forest Farm this year. It was the first time I ever bought gallon containers from them. The two shrubs I bought looked just as nice as a three gallon plant from a local nursery looks. I was thrilled. I potted up the tubes into gallon pots when they arrived, and the perennials have filled those pots right up with roots. They sell great plants, much bigger than many mail order places.

Hi Sue36, Sorry to hear of your problem. I wondered whether you might be Canadian, as we've also had AMT to contend with for several years now. It clicks in relative to incomes over 40,000 or so. If one is subject to AMT, there are certain avoidance/reduction techniques that are not available, up here - sorry, I can't be more specific (but they'd not concern you, anyway). Up here, if a spouse or equivalent in a household earns over something under 8,000, each must file own tax return, though net incomes are added relative to certain issues. Our tax deadline was April 30 - I had a fairly substantial amount to pay (including some left over from a previous year). Paid something like about 10% of total income, though - so I can't complain too much. Having been a personal financial advisor for several years, I've called several persons/agencies who advertised tax preparation service, to ask them if a number of their clients, at the end of their calculation, ask them for some advice as to some (minor or more substantial) changes that they might make in their financial system in order to reduce tax liability in future. I was astonsihed to learn that almost all of them say that hardly anyone ever asks such a question. As I've said to many, "Learning how money works is an interesting hobby - that pays well". Some people spend more time planning their annual vacation - that lasts for what, a couple of weeks, possibly slightly more - than they do their financial future. With which they'll be dealing for the rest of their lives. Can anyone here spell, "stupid"? O.K. - misplaced/confused system of priorities. Tax avoidance techniques is a system that should be practised by every taxpayer - after all, why should only the rich make use of some of the techniques that their friends in government have put in place to help them? And are doing in spades in recent years in the benighted States. Good wishes for working out a system to avoide AMT before next year rolls around. Surely your accountant can help devise such a plan - isn't tat one of the reasons that you pay her/him the fees required? ole joyful

Hi again Sue, I give much more than that amount annually to various social, medical, educational, international and religious charities. If I took the proceeds of the stock certificate in cash, then paid tax on half of the capital gain, that'd be tax that I'd be paying that I can avoid by giving the stock certificate directly to a charity. So there'd be less after-tax money to contribute directly by cheque than by contributing the stock certificate and avoiding the income tax entirely. Sorry that I didn't make that clear in the first place. There's another benefit that has been instituted in recent years - our first $200.00 of charitable contribution is deducted at our regular tax rate, but above that, we can deduct at the top tax rate, even though, as I'm a low- to middle-income earner, my tax rate on my top dollar earned is much lower. "My" money, as my life, isn't just "mine" - I have to answer to God, to a certain extent, for the way it's used. That loyalty, sort of like my loyalty to my father, is not of the "big stick" kind, but the compulsion that one feels in relating to one who exemplifies integrity, and love, as my father did (but I don't think that he ever told me that he loved me). My Mom was hospitalized when I was six or seven, and died when I was 13 (I took the message), and I asked Dad once whether he felt that he'd sort of put some of his emotional self into cold storage, and he said that he didn't think so - but I'm not so sure. Good wishes for skillful management of your income and assets, Talley Sue- and everyone. ole joyful

Well, assume at least 20 more years....so, 140,000 in taxes.... If the property is worth more than that and is in a good location (continues to appreciate), it might be worth it. So basically, you'll be his age when you own it. Have you spoken with an attorney about the transfer, taxes, and tax liablities? MAke sure you know everything you are getting into, especially capital gains.....