Ch 6 - Estate Freezes for Family Businesses Flashcards
- successors might not be adequately prepared to take over
- current owner may wish to retain control over some activities
- senior family members may want or need to retain income from business operations
Why are Estate Freezes often preferable to outright gifts?
•an attempt to fix, at a low amount, the value of an asset in a taxpayer’s estate
Define Estate Freeze
In determining whether the transfer of an interest in a controlled corporation or partnership to (or for the benefit of) a member of the family of the transferor (a) is a gift and (b) the gift tax value of such gift, the value of certain retained rights with respect to an applicable retained interest held by the transferor or an applicable family member immediately after the transfer is generally deemed to be zero.
What is IRC Sec. 2701
- marketable transferred interests
- marketable retained interests
- interests in the same class of stock
- proportionate transfers
- Retained preferred providing “qualified payments” (i.e., cumulative preferred dividends at a specified market rate)
When does Section 2701 does not apply*?
- retained rights to qualified payments are valued under normal valuation principles
- Qualified Payments are dividends payable under cumulative preferred stock, to the extent the payment is determined at a fixed rate.
What are the Exceptions to Sec. 2701: Qualified Payments*?
•The total common stock of the corporation may not be valued at less than 10 percent of the sum of
What is the Sec. 2701 Minimum Value Rule?
–the total value of all stock interests in the corporation plus
–the total indebtedness of the corporation to the transferor or an applicable family member
How is the Sec. 2701 Minimum Value Rule?
- effective estate reduction technique
- gift tax issues –present interest gifts can be achieved
- gift tax value of partnership interests is discounted
- facilitate income shifting
- more flexible than trusts or corporations with respect to distributions and allocations of income
- senior generation can maintain control
- asset protection is available
- virtually any business can be conducted in a family partnership
- avoid ancillary probate
What are the Advantages of Family Partnerships*?
•if the partnership is structured to restrict limited partners’ rights, a willing buyer would pay substantially less for the partnership interest
What are Marketability Discounts
•generally, no discount is available to the general partner
Is a Marketability Discount available to a General Partner?
–income shifted to the next generation will avoid inclusion in the donor’s estate
–lower family income taxes may result
What are the Advantages of Income Shifting with Partnerships
–the capital of the partnership must be a material income-producing factor
What are the Requirements of Income Shifting with Partnerships
•Exclusive Remedy to Creditors: The Charging Order
- –Creditor becomes entitled to the debtor’s distributions from the partnership until the debt is satisfied
•Fraudulent Transfer Laws may apply
What is Creditor Protection
•alternative to entity owned life insurance
What is a Family Life Insurance Partnership (FLIP)
–form a partnership under state law
–partnership applies for, owns, and is the beneficiary of life insurance
–policy premiums are paid for out of partnership assets
–at death of insured, partnership can continue or be terminated
How is a Family Life Insurance Partnership (FLIP) Structured