Estate Planning Flashcards
What are the “laws if intestate succession” (or “laws of descent and distribution”)?
The process by which the state determines who gets (and in what amount) a decadent’s estate.
What does it mean to pass by the “operation of law?”
The property was passed via a will substitute - joint with rights of survivorship.
What is the difference between P.O.D. and T.O.D.?
Payable on death usually applies to bank accounts, transfer on death usually applies to securities.
What is the difference between “legal” and “equitable” (or “beneficial”) interest in a property?
Someone with legal interest can manage and transfer property. Someone with an equitable interest has the right to use, consume, or enjoy property.
What are some of the names of demand rights (which create a present interest)? (3)
- Crummey power
- power of appointment
- power of invasion
What is a “life estate?”
An interest that terminates at someone’s death.
What are the various types of property interest? (4)
- legal vs. beneficial (equitable) interests
- present vs. future interests
- interests limited in time
- vested vs. contingent interests
What is “power of appointment?”
It is a clause where the granting party (donor or creator) gives authority to another person (donee or holder) to, at the donee’s discretion, transfer title to a specified portion of the donor’s property to a recipient (appointee).
What does “fee simple” mean?
Sole ownership
What is a decedent’s probate estate?
The decedent’s property that passes by will or the state’s laws of intestate secession.
What common registrations bypass probate? (2)
- JTWROS
- tenants by the entirety
What is a will substitute?
An instrument that accomplishes the same thing as a will but bypasses probate.
What are the objectives of probate? (3)
1) distribute decedent’s property
2) payment to legitimate creditors
3) collect taxes
What are the duties of the personal representative? (5)
- marshaling the decedent’s assets
- processing payments to valid creditors
- attend to tax obligations
- manage estate assets
- distribute estate assets
What is the “spousal elective share” or the “election against the will?”
The percentage of property that the spouse is entitled to according to statutory law.
What is the “homestead allowance” statute?
This statute gives a dependent spouse (and/or children) either an ownership or an occupancy interest in real property used by such parties as a personal residence.
What is the “homestead exemption” statute?
This statute exempts a property from the claims of the general (not secured) creditors of the residence.
What are family allowance statutes?
Statutes that allow an estate to pay the maintenance costs of the family that cannot wait until the distribution process is complete. These payments are a priority over general creditors.
What is “adeemed” property?
Property that cannot be distributed because it no longer exists in he estate.
What is “equitable apportionment?”
When the taxes from an estate are paid by each beneficiary’s share in proportion to the tax burden it creates.
What are the requirements for a valid will? (4)
- minimum age
- valid form
- testamentary capacity
- execution requirements
What is a holographic will?
A will that is written, signed and dated in the testator’s handwriting.
What is a nuncupative will?
A will which is originally given orally and usually written down within a specific period of time. It requires at least one witness.
What is a primary characteristic of the unified transfer tax system (except in 2010)?
It imposed an identical amount of tax liability on lifetime (taxable gifts) and death-time (taxable estate) transfers of equal value.
For 2012, what is the gift and estate tax rate?
It is a progressive rate that caps at 35%.
Other than the tax rate, what are other commonalities of the unified tax system? (4)
- unlimited marital transfers
- the charitable deduction applies to both testamentary transfers and lifetime gifts
- a tax liability must be absorbed by the “applicable credit amount” (formerly unified credit)
- Computation of both taxes are cumulative
What is the “applicable exclusion amount” or “exemption equivalent?”
It refers to the dollar value of a taxable gift or taxable estate that will not cause payment out of pocket of gift or estate tax liability.
What are the two conditions required to use alternate valuation date?
Decreases in BOTH:
1) the value of the decedent’s gross estate
2) the decedent’s estate tax liability
What are the qualifications for special use valuation?
1) real property used as a farm or closely held business owned on DOD and 5 of last 8 years
2) prop & use personal prop must be 50% of estate value AFTER debts
3) prop must be 25% of estate value AFTER debt
4) must pass to a qualified heir
5) material participant in farm or business 5 of last 8 years
What is a defining characteristic of a general power of appointment?
The ability to benefit the holder without restriction of HEMS or prior consent.
What is the defining characteristic of a special (or limited) power of appointment?
The holder cannot benefit themselves unless subject to one of the following limitations:
1) an ascertain able standard such as HEMS
OR
2) prior consent of donor or another party with an interest
What is IRC Section 2033?
This section of the code pertains to the decedent’s property interests at death.
What is IRD?
Income in respect of the decedent. This is the income to which a decedent is entitled but which is not properly includible in computing taxable income for the tax year in which the decedent died (I.e. deferred comp, precedes from an installment sale, etc.)
What is IRC Section 2042?
The section of the tax code that pertains to how life insurance ownership interest is handled in an estate when the decedent is not the insured.
What is IRC Section 2040?
The section of the tax code that deals with how joint property is handled by an estate.
What is IRC Section 2041?
The section of the tax code that deals with how powers of appointment are handled by an estate.
What is IRC Section 2039?
The section of the tax code that deals with how annuities and pensions (with a survivorship interest) is handled by an estate.
What is IRC Section 2031(c) and what are the requirements?
The section of the tax code that deals with how qualified conservation easements are handled by an estate. Requirements include:
1) descendent and/or family must have owned property 3 years prior to death
2) interest must be granted in perpetuity to a qualified charity
3) no development rights
What is included in IRC Sections 2035-2038?
These sections are called the “transfer sections” and define what lifetime transfer items must be brought back into the gross estate. These are retaining:
2036: lifetime interest
2037: reversionary interest of over 5% of property value
2038: Rights to Alter, Terminate, Revoke or Amend
Or
2035: 3 year inclusionary rule
What is the adjusted gross estate (AGE)?
The gross estate minus these deductions:
1) debts
2) funeral expenses
3) admin expenses
4) casualty & theft losses
5) foreign death taxes actually paid
What is the taxable estate (TE)?
Adjusted gross estate (AGE) minus:
1) state death taxes paid
2) marital deduction
3) charitable deduction
What is a terminable interest?
A terminable interest is an interest in property that will end at a set time or upon the occurrence or nonoccurrence of an event.
What qualifications must be met in order to get the MD when giving a spouse a terminable interest? (4)
1) a life estate with a general power of appointment,
2) a QTIP arrangement with an election,
3) naming one’s spouse as the sole income beneficiary of a CRT, and;
4) conditioning the transfer upon the spouse’s survival for a period not to exceed six months.
What is a CRAT?
Charitable remainder annuity trust
What is a CRUT?
Charitable remainder unitrust
What is a QTIP?
qualified terminal interest property
What use IRC Section 2055?
It pertains to the charitable deductibility of assets given by an estate.
What are the criteria needed to take a charitable deduction (Section 2055)?
- cash or property ONLY (no service)
- contribution must exceed amount rcvd from the charity
- property must be part of the gross estate
- transfer cannot be of a partial interest unless it qualifies for an exception (CLTs and CRTs)
What is an estate’s tax base?
The sum of the taxable estate plus the decedent’s adjusted taxable gifts.
What is IRC Section 2001?
It defines adjusted taxable gifts for a decedent’s estate after 1976.
What is IRC Section 2010?
It pertains to the applicable credit amount applied to an estate.