Estate Planning Flashcards
What is an irrevocable trust in which the grantor places assets and a right to a fixed payment of income for a period?
GRAT - Grantor retained annuity trust
What are 2 ways gift tax exposure is reduced in a GRAT?
- value of retained annuity increases
- remainder interest decreased
What are 3 advantages and 6 disadvantages of a GRAT?
ADV
1. estate tax reduction
2. Provides income to granter
3. Offers support for grantor and beneficiary
DIS
1. Initial gift taxable - income taxable
2. No additional assets permitted
3. beneficiary receive carryover basis
4. Grantor loses control of property
5. income subject to creditors
6.fixed annuity must be paid, even if from borrowed funds
What is an irrevocable trust into which the grantor places assets and right to payments fixed % of value of trust ( determined annually) ?
GRUT - Grantor retained Unitrust
What are the 3 purposes of a GRAT?
SAME AS GRUT
1. transfer property in trust at reduced gift tax
2. Pass appreciation in GRAT to bene without incurring additional gift tax
3. reduce value of gross estate
What is the purpose of a GRUT? 3 of them
SAME AS GRAT
1. Transfer property in trust reduced gift tax
2. Pass appreciate in GRUT to beneficiary without incurring additional Gift tax
3. Reduce value of granters gross estate
What are the 4 advantages and 5 disadvantages of a GRUT?
ADV
1. estate tax reduction
2. provides income to grantor
3. Additional assets permitted
4. Offer support for grantor and benes
Dis
1. Initial gift is taxable, so is income
2. Bene receives carryover basis
3. Grantor loses control of property
4. Income generated is subject to creditor claims
5.Payments must be paid, even if from burrow funds
What happens to the principal in a grantor retained trust (GRAT or GRUT) at end of period and what is the benefit?
Goes to non-charitable beneficiary
High value transferred using low valuation method, reduces gift or estate tax
What type of client is a GRAT and GRUT suitable for?
GRAT - fixed income, conservative
GRUT - Variable income, Moderate and aggressive, income to outpace inflation
What is an irrevocable trust that holds a persons residence, allowing people to live in the house rent- free for a period? (Passes gift tax free to bene)
QPRTs- qualified personal residence trust
What are the 3 advantages and 5 disadvantages of a QRPT?
Adv
1. Tax reduction - property removes high value
2. Property use - continue use during term
3. Support for bene
Dis
1. possible estate inclusion if you die during term
2. Taxes (income)
3. Bene sell - basis transferred incurs gift tax
4. Maintenance expenses
5.Grantor survives trust term, move out or rent
What allows a tester to control passing of property interest to others?
Will
Why would you make an ADV Election? 2 reasons
reduces gross estate and estate tax
What is the Gross estate inclusion of the 5 ownership titles?
SO- 100%
JTWRS- Spouse - 50% non-spouse - FMV x % of contribution
TBE- 50% of FMV
TIC- FMV of ownership %
CP- 50% of value of decedents interest is includible
What are the 4 invalid will provisions?
1.Fraud
2.undue influence by bene on testator
3. Mistakes in will clauses
4. Will not properly executed, signed, written according to state laws
What 2 choices of dates can the executor chose to value an estate?
- Date of death
- AVD( 6 months after DOD)
What are the 3 ways to transfer assets at death? ( Split between benes)
- Per capita - by head - 1/3 between 3, one dies with 2 kids, 1/4 between all
- per stripes - by roots - 1/3 between 3, one dies with 2 kids, 1/3 for the original 2 of 3, and 1/6 for the 2 kids
- per capita by generation - 2nd generation is set to receive % with all heirs in 3rd evenly
What are the 3 disadvantages of probate?
- Time ( can take 9 months to 2 years)
- Money - costly
- Privacy - public
What are the 4 advantages of probate?
- Court supervised distribution of property to heirs
- Protects creditors by ensuring debt paid
- Bars future creditor claims
- Documents title and transfer of property to others
What is the age limit to create a will and what capacity do you need?
18 and testamentary capacity
1.Must know you are executing a will
2. must be aware of assets they own
3.must know and remember relationships to bene
What is the point of a survivorship clause?
Ensures assets pass to intended bene
What is a survivorship clause?
named bene in will cannot inherit unless they live for a certain time after will maker dies
What is the probate estate inclusion of the 5 ownership titles?
SO - 100%
JTWROS - None
TBE - none
TIC - FMV of interest
CP- only assets that don’t transfer to someone else
What are the 2 step up basis calculations
JTWROS
1.Spousal
Original basis = 50% of purchase
Step up = decedent step up + survivorship 50% of FMV
2.non spouse
Original basis = % of contribution
Step up - Dec % FMV + survivors original basis
What are 3 rules of intestacy?
- Minor children receive equal shares of parents property
- Community property states - surviving spouse gets everything
- Decedents estate - gets marital deduction for % of property surviving spouse receives
What is the ability to refuse a gift called?
qualified disclaimer
What is the Automatic survivorship status of 5 ownership titles?
- SO - no, transfers by will or law of intestacy
- JTWROS - yes, At death of JT
- TBE - yes, at death of spouse
- TIC -no, by will or law of intestacy
5.CP - yes, if property is title CPWROS or in a joint trust. Otherwise no
What are the 5 steps at a high level for federal estate tax calculation?
- Determine value of gross estate
2.Arrive at adjusted gross estate - deterring taxable estate
- Calculate federal estate tax payable
- Apply credits to arrive at Net
What are the 4 differences between a SIMPLE and Complex trust?
Simple
1. Required to distribute income to bene in year
2. May not have charitable bene
3. Cannot distribute principal during tax year
4. Personal exemption of $300
Complex
1. Not required to make distribution
2. May have charitable bene
3. May distribute principal during year
4.Personal exemption of $100
What are the 3 differences between a revocable and irrevocable trust?
Revocable
1.Grantor has right to terminate
2. Transfer of asset not a gift
3. Assets in trust subject to estate tax -
Irrevocable
1. May not be revoked once created
2. transfer of assets is a gift
3. Assets in trust not subject to estate tax
What 3 things does a revocable trust offer?
- Estate planning
- Avoids probate fee
- Fully amendable
What 6 things does an irrevocable trust offer?
1.Estate planning
2. Asset protection
3. avoids probate
4. medical planning
5. tax deductions
6. Amendable with bene ok
What are the 4 grantor trust rules?
- revoke/modify trust
- retain beneficial enjoyment
- Retain admin powers
- Income distributed to grantor for support of kids
What are the 4 type of trusts?
- Living (inter-vivo)
- Testamentary
- Revocable
- irrevocable
What are the 3 details of a living trust?
- Established and funded during lifetime
- Funds pass outside will and probate
- Title to property held in name of trust
How is a testamentary trust created and when is it funded? Also, what are 3 possible purposes of it?
- Created through will, funded after death
- Purposes
reduce estate tax
professional investment management
estate ends up in right hand
What type of trust offers flexibility, grantor retains control, may be funded or unfunded, and becomes irrevocable at death?
Revocable trust
What type of trust offers asset protection, must be funded, trust is owner of property, and granter give up control?
irrevocable trust
If you make a revocable trust irrevocable and die within 3 year is it included in gross estate?
yes
What are the 5 elements to a trust?
Granter - person who transfers property to it
Trustee - person who manages the trust
Corpus - principal in trust
terms of trust - documents outlining provisions
Beneficiaries - receive benefits of trust
What rule of a trust allows fiduciaries to make distributions within 65 days of the new tax year?
65 day rule
What election allows the executer of an estate and trustee of a revocable trust to elect to treat estate and trust as one for tax purposes?
section 645 election
What are the different names for granters, trustee, and benes?
Granters- settler, trust makers, or trustor
trustee - fiduciary
benes - remaindermen
In a standby trust (used in case of medical issues) the granter also serves as what 2 things?
- Trustee
- Beneficiary
What form must the fiduciary file for taxable domestic trusts?
form 1041
What are the 3 reasons a form 1041 would be filed for a trust?
1.any taxable income for year
2. gross income of $600 or more (regardless of taxable income)
3. a bene who is a non-resident alien
For trust income, what is trust accounting income, trust taxable income, and distribution net income?
trust accounting income - items used to determine amount benes are entitled to
Trust taxable income - subtracting deduction from income and personal exemptions
Dis net income - taxable income between bene and trusts
Max that can be taxed to bene is lesser of these figures
What is the tax on the transfer of property when a person dies?
Federal Estate tax
What type of trust is a will substitute and goes around the probate estate?
Irrevocable trust
What type of trust has assets avoid gross estate? which type of trust is included?
Irrevocable trust excludes
revocable trust included
is federal estate tax a tax on the right to transfer or receive property?
Transfer property
What form is federal estate tax on and when is it due?
Form 706 and within 9 months of death
Is property gifted within 3 years of death included in gross estate?
no
What is a legal entity that holds property and allows the granter to coordinate, investment, use, and distribution of property?
Trust
When do you use FMV vs FMV - A.E in the appreciation factor formula?
No prior gifts = FMV - A.E
Prior gifts above Exclusion - FMV
What is the appreciation factor for the gift tax adjustments?
Appreciation/ taxable amount of gift
FMV- Basis/ FMV - A.E (or FM if prior gift)
What are the 3 types of generation skipping transfers?
- Direct Skip
- taxable distributions
- Taxable terminations
What is the gift tax adjustment added to the donee’s basis?
Appreciation factor x gift taxes paid
If the FMV of property at time of gift is greater than the donors basis, what basis and holding period is used?
Donors basis and holding period
What is a taxable termination for a GST?
termination by death, lapse of time, release of power, or interest in property held in trust results in skip person holding all interest in trust
GSTT Payer=trustee
What is a GST taxable distribution?
Distribution of income or corpus form a trust to skip person not subject to estate or gift tax
GSTT payer = skip person
What is a GST direct skip? What are the 2 relations?
Direct to skip person
Related persons - defined by family tree
Non-related = born between 37 1/2 and 62 1/2
GSTT payer = transferor
What is the GSTT amount?
40%
Is the generation skipping transfer tax part of the estate and gift exclusion (lifetime amount)
No, separate, but same numbers - $12,920,000
17k annual exclusion
but Also counted as a gift so applies to both exclusions
What is the person who is two or more generations below a transfer called?
skip person
What is transfer of property by gift or at death to a person who is two or more generations below the transferor called?
Generation skipping transfer - GST
What is the step-up for community property?
100% - could be sold for no gain
What is a step-up basis determined by?
FMV at Date of death
What property receives a step-up basis?
only the value of assets included in the decedent’s estate
What are the 3 scenarios of gifts of loss property?
1.Final sale> donors basis - takes on Donors basis and HP
2. Final sale < FMV on date of gift- takes on FMV and HP starts from DOD
3. final sale in-between adjusted basis and FMV - no loss or gain, hp non factor
What are the 4 requirements of a qualified disclaimer?
- Must be in writing
- Writing received no later than 9 months after later of date of transfer or date of person reaching 21
- Person disclaiming must not have accepted
- Someone else receives, no influence
What are two items of a grantor trust?
- revocable trust all income taxed to grantor
- Any trust that allows granter spouse, or 3rd party without bene interest any rights or powers specific in grantors trust rule, taxed as grantor trust
What is the lifetime tax exemption dollar amount?
$12,920,000
What is the dollar amount of the unified credit?
$5,113,800
What form do married couples use for selecting gift splitting?
Form 709
Separate if annual exclusion greater than 17k
36k/2 = 18k
Donor spouse files if less - consent of other
20k/2 = 10k
No return needed if total value is less
12k gift
What are the 4 present interest gifts for minors?
1.UGMA or UTMA
2.529 plans - 85k super funding 5 years
3. 2503 (b) trust - multi benes, income to at least one bene annually
4. 2503 (c) trust - one bene, income accumulates until 21, the one exception for accumulation
What are the two types of present interests in an irrevocable trust?
- Bene receives income for life
- Bene receives income for a term
What are the two present interest categories where the annual gift exclusion applies?
- Present interest in trusts
- Present interest gifts for minors
What type of interest does annual exclusions for gifts only apply to?
Present interest gifts
What is the annual gift exclusion dollar amount?
$17,000
What are 4 future interest gifts?
- Remainder interest in a property
- Trust that accumulates income (2503(c) exception
- Non-income producing trusts - unless trustee can sell and buy income producing
- trust has a sprinkle or spray provision
What is 529 forward funding?
can fund 529 with 5 years existing exclusion - 85k
can add more if exclusion increases
What are 3 reasons to use a qualified disclaimer?
1.Transfer involving large gifts
2. tax free gift to contingent donor
3. Spouse is Donee, does not want/need
What 4 CORE goals of estate planning can gift splitting achieve?
- Tax reduction
- tax avoidance
- philanthropy
- support
What are the 4 gifts not considered taxable gifts?
1.Gifts to IRS approved charities
2. Gifts to U.S. citizen spouse
3. Payments for medical expenses directly to medical providers
4. Payment for tuition directly to educational institution