Once Removed Episode 18: The Reciprocal Trust Doctrine
February 2025 Interest Rates for GRATs, Sales to Defective Grantor Trusts, Intra-Family Loans and Split Interest Charitable Trusts - The February applicable federal rate (“AFR”) for use with a sale to a defective grantor...more
The IRS has clearly identified legitimate reasons why "U.S. Persons" would establish or maintain ownership in a foreign trust. However, a foreign trust creates complex IRS reporting requirements for US taxpayers who own a...more
As we will see shortly, it is often “better to give than to receive,” though this statement begs the obvious question of whether it is better to do so during one’s lifetime or upon one’s death. Many well-to-do individuals...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
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
Earlier this week the White House released its Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. Of course, the federal government has not yet adopted a budget for the Fiscal Year 2024 even as we approach that year’s halfway mark. But I digress. The...more
Starting January 1, 2025, the individual who is the grantor of a trust that qualifies as a grantor trust under Sections 671 through 679 of the Internal Revenue Code will himself or herself be subject to Pennsylvania Personal...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
On November 24, 2023, the IRS released PLR 202347001, ruling that certificates issued from an “exchange trust” qualify as stripped bonds or stripped coupons within the meaning of Code Section 1286. The taxpayer in the...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
On September 27, 2023, H.R. 5761, the “Opportunity Zones Transparency, Extension and Improvement Act” was introduced as bipartisan legislation in the US House of Representatives. Among other things, the proposed...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
In a recently-issued Revenue Ruling (Rev Rul 2023-02), the IRS has held that the basis of the assets in an irrevocable grantor trust, where the assets are not included in the grantor’s gross estate for federal estate tax...more
The April Section 7520 rate for use with estate planning techniques such as CRTs, CLTs, QPRTs and GRATs is 5.0%. The April applicable federal rate (“AFR”) for use with a sale to a defective grantor trust or intra-family loan...more
On March 20, 2023, Senators Warren, Sanders, Van Hollen, and Whitehouse addressed a letter to Treasury Secretary Yellen in which they urged Yellen “to use [her] existing authority to limit the ultra-wealthy’s abuse of trusts...more
The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 established the requirement that the President submit a budget to Congress for the upcoming fiscal year. Among other things, the proposed federal budget affords the President an...more
February 2023 Interest Rates for GRATs, Sales to Defective Grantor Trusts, Intra-Family Loans and Split Interest Charitable Trusts - The February applicable federal rate (“AFR”) for use with a sale to a defective grantor...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
Recently, there seems to be some confusion regarding section 643(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and its application to trusts. Indeed, that provision—particularly to those not well-versed in...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
Some folks eagerly await the release of a new album. Others camp outside of big box retailers to get the jump on holiday gifts. There are those who line up at box offices to purchase tickets for a concert that is months away....more
The Key Person- The closely held corporation is often a fragile creature. Too often, its continued success and well-being are overly dependent upon the continued involvement of one individual – namely, the founder and...more
$50,000 or $2.72 million? Those are the penalty amounts for the non-willful failure to timely file to report foreign financial accounts at issue in U.S. v Bittner, which will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in...more