Just found out my sister is taking my mom's money from her checking accounts and putting it into another savings account that my mom has no access to. She claims she is POA but I don't know if this is true. Is this legal? If my mother should pass away is that money considered part of her estate since her name is non on that account? What should I do if anything? We are getting POA changed this week. Will all those funds need to be returned to mom and new POA?
Once the POA is changed, you will need to consult with either an accountant or an attorney regarding its effects on the estate and any taxes that may be due. For example, if your sister moved more than $13,000 from your mother's account into an account in your sister's name in one calendar year, then the Gift Tax would kick in and taxes would be owed on those transferred funds.