Once Removed Episode 18: The Reciprocal Trust Doctrine
On this episode of “Splitting Heirs,” Warren K. Racusin welcomes back Sharon L. Klein, President of Family Wealth for the Eastern US Region of Wilmington Trust Company and member of the Estate Planning Hall of Fame, to...more
September 2024 AFRs and 7520 Rate - The September 2024 Section 7520 rate for use with estate planning techniques such as CRTs, CLTs, QPRTs and GRATs is 4.8%, a decrease from the August 2024 rate of 5.2%. The September...more
Financial markets, political moods, and the world-at-large can take us on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. But savvy investors (and their estate planning counsel) know that – in the end – neither the bears nor bulls...more
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 provided major changes to the Internal Revenue Code, specifically doubling the federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption (collectively, the exemption) from...more
This CLE/CPE webinar will provide estate planners insight on recently issued IRS guidance regarding basis adjustments for irrevocable grantor trusts. The panelist will discuss key items and challenges stemming from Revenue...more
This podcast often discusses the elements of a trust, and how to grant access, control and flexibility to beneficiaries and trustees. But for tax and other purposes, the donor typically cannot retain those kinds of powers. ...more
A Beneficiary Intentionally Defective Irrevocable Trust (BIDIT) provides a unique planning opportunity because it allows a beneficiary to continue to benefit from his or her own assets while maintaining some level of control...more
Thanks to a generous federal gift and estate tax exemption amount ($13.61 million for 2024), only the wealthiest of families are exposed to estate tax liability. For many, this means that estate planning now has a stronger...more
Trusts are described in multiple ways, including: living or testamentary, revocable or irrevocable and grantor or non-grantor. These terms are not always mutually exclusive. A trust can be living, revocable and a grantor...more
A trust structure, commonly used for estate planning, can be problematic in certain civil law jurisdictions, such as those in many European countries. Recent acts enacted in Wyoming and New Hampshire allow for the...more
Until recently, there was a fair amount of comfort amongst practitioners that, when structured correctly, utilizing a tax reimbursement clause for a grantor trust did not produce any negative U.S. gift or estate tax results....more
Although the IRS is now on high alert for wealthy individuals, new and existing planning opportunities are available, such as tax-free gifts and other advantageous planning. Wealthy individuals and families should take...more
The August 2023 Section 7520 rate for use with estate planning techniques such as CRTs, CLTs, QPRTs and GRATs is 5%, an increase from the July 2023 rate of 4.6%. The August applicable federal rate (“AFR”) for use with a sale...more
Grantor trusts allow for tax deductions on income generated by trust assets whereas non-grantor trusts do not allow for these deductions. It is crucial for people to carefully decide which type of trust is best for their...more
June 2023 Interest Rates for GRATs, Sales to Defective Grantor Trusts, Intra-Family Loans and Split-Interest Charitable Trusts - The June Section 7520 rate for use in estate planning techniques such as CRTs, CLTs, QPRTs...more
May 2023 Interest Rates for GRATs, Sales to Defective Grantor Trusts, Intra-Family Loans and Split-Interest Charitable Trusts - The May Section 7520 rate for use in estate planning techniques such as CRTs, CLTs, QPRTs and...more
According to a report issued by the National Association of Realtors a couple of days ago, last year saw a large outmigration of people from California and New York, while Florida and Texas experienced a comparably large...more
Under federal tax law, there are significant differences between grantor and non-grantor trusts. Grantor trusts are treated as disregarded entities. In layman’s terms, this means that the grantor (i.e., the creator or the...more
A family vacation home offers an escape from the stresses of everyday life, and an opportunity for bonding. Parents return to their vacation homes year after year, creating memories with their children and grandchildren. If...more
Trusts come in many variations, rendering them often difficult for non-attorneys to follow and comprehend. Indeed, this variation can often be seen in the nomenclature used for trust arrangements, which includes terms such...more
Many estate planning strategies involve leveraging low interest rates in order to transfer the appreciation of an asset to beneficiaries free from transfer taxes. Generally, these techniques enable senior family members to...more
Leveraging QPRTs in a High Interest Rate Environment - A Qualified Personal Residence Trust, or “QPRT” is a planning strategy specifically authorized in the Internal Revenue Code that allows an individual to remove a...more
Many of our clients are charitably inclined, and incorporate charitable planning into their overall estate planning. This can be as simple as making gifts to charities during life or via specific bequests in a Will....more
As 2022 comes to a close, it is worth taking note of the current state of the legislative landscape that could affect estate planning opportunities in the coming year. This year, the Inflation Reduction Act was enacted into...more
July 2022 Interest Rates for GRATs, Sales to Defective Grantor Trusts, Intra-Family Loans and Split Interest Charitable Trusts AFRs The July applicable federal rate (“AFR”) for use with a sale to a defective grantor trust,...more