Module 3: Charitable Gifts, Estates & Trusts, Kiddie Tax and AMT Flashcards
The Grantor
The person who creates the trust
How to have a trust qualify as a separate taxpayer
The grantor will have to give up virtually all rights in and to the property
Grantor Trust Rules
Require that the trust’s income be taxed to the grantor if the grantor retains too much power over, or interest in, the assets transferred into the trust
Grantor Trust Rules (Spouse)
The grantor is treated as holding any power or interest that is held by the grantor’s spouse.
Reversionary Interest Rule
Any income from property transferred to a trust in which the grantor (or grantor’s spouse) has more than 5% reversionary interest is taxed to the grantor.
Adverse party
A beneficiary whose economic interest in the trust may be diminished by the grantor’s exercise of the power of disposition.
When will the grantor not be taxed as owner of a trust
- by retaining power to allocate income or principal among charitable beneficiaries
- retaining power to allocate receipts and disbursements between income and principal
- retaining power to withhold income during the legal disability of a beneficiary
- retaining power to withhold income during the period that any income beneficiary is under age 21
When will the grantor be taxed as owner of the trust
- if the grantor directly or indirectly retains certain administrative powers like purchasing, exchanging, borrowing or dealing with trust assets without adquate interest or security
- If the income is or may be used for the benefit of the grantor or the grantor’s spouse
Juvenile Education Trust
A complex trust that allows people to use the gift exclusion to their children while also deferring the chance for them to get the money until they’re 21 years old
For a trust to qualify as irrevocable
the grantor cannot retain any right to alter, amend, revoke, or terminate the trust.
How is irrevocable trust income taxed
all income from the trust property will be taxed to the trust as a separate entity or to the trust beneficiaries, and not to the grantor.
What is a trust?
A trust is a legal arrangement whereby an individual transfers legal ownership of property to a trustee
Who can trust income be taxed to?
- Trust - if income is accumulated in the trust
- Beneficiary - if income is distributed from the trust
- Grantor - if the trust is grantor trust
What is an estate?
A legal entity that comes into existence upon the death of an individual and remains in existence until the decedent’s assets pass to the heirs.
What does an estate do?
- holds and protects the assets, collects income from those assets, and satisfies obligations of the estate until all the assets are distributed
What is a fiduciary on an estate or trust?
A person or entity that is responsible for the trust and estate
What are the types of trusts?
- Simple Trust
- Complex Trust
- Grantor Trust
Simple Trust Rules
- Trust is required to distribute all income to beneficiaries each year
- Charitable donations are prohibited
- Principal Distributions are prohibited
Complex Trust Rules
- Can accumulate income
- Principal can be distributed
- trust pays tax on accumulated income
Grantor Trust Rules
- If a trust is a grantor trust, the grantor pays tax on all trust income
- Trust is ignored for income tax purposes
- A trust will be a grantor trust if the grantor retains the power to control enjoyment
What are the grantors “power to control enjoyment”?
- add or remove beneficiaries
- determine the timing of distribution
- alter the beneficiaries share of principal or income
- retain a reversionary interest in either corpus or income
- control the beneficial enjoyment
- retain certain administrative powers
- revoke the trust
- retain the ability to take income distributions, apply the income to Life Insurance Policies or accumulate the income for future distributions to the owner or a nonadverse party
Accounting income of a fiduciary is determined by
The decedent’s will (in case of an estate) or the trust instrument (in case of a trust)
- each fiduciary may have its own unique set of rules
Difference between fiduciary accounting income and fiduciary taxable income
Treatment of Capital Gains
- Accounting Purposes - Cap gains generally represent an increase in the value of the principal and are not available for distribution to the income beneficiaries
- Tax Purposes - capital gains represent taxable income
Trustee Fees Taxation
- generally deductible but may be treated as either income or principal for trust accounting purposes.
Differences between trust taxable income and individual taxable income
- a trust is entitled to a deduction for distributions made to beneficiaries
- A trust is not entitled to the standard deduction
- A trust is entitled to a personal exemption of #300 for a simple trust and $100 for a complex trust
If an administrative expense is claimed as a deduction on the estate tax return of a decedent
It may not also be claimed as a deduction on the income tax return of the decedents estate
Two ways medical expenses paid for the care of the decedent before death can be handled
- if paid within one year after death, can be deducted from EITHER the decedent’s final income tax return or the decedents estate tax return. Want to do it on the estate tax return normally because there is no 10% minimum threshold.
How are deductions for distributions made to beneficiaries treated?
- The fiduciary is allowed a deduction for the amount of distributions made to beneficiaries during the year
- The amount deductible by the fiduciary is the same amount that is taxable to the beneficiaries
- the income distribution deduction is calculated as the lesser of the distributable net income or the amount distributed
Distributable Net Income
- Similar to fiduciary accounting income
- includes most normal income/expense items
- excludes items relating to corpus, such as capital gains, stock splits, and depreciation of business assets
What and when do fiduciaries file for taxes?
Fiduciaries file form 1041 on or before the 15th day of the fourth month after the tax year. Grantor trust may also file a form 1041
What is considered a “tax year” for Estates and Trusts for filing?
Estates - may adopt either a calendar year or a fiscal year, the first taxable year begins on the day following the decedents death.
Trust - must adopt a calendar year
Tax Treatment of Distributions Made to Beneficiaries
- The beneficiary is taxed on an amount equal to the distribution deduction
- Fiduciary receives a deduction for distribution
- Income distributed to the beneficiary retains its character (LTCG or OID)
- Beneficiary who receives a distribution will receive a Schedule K-1
Dependent’s Standard Deduction
$1,100, may be used against unearned income
OR
$350 plus any earned income, not to exceed the full standard deduction
Who does the Dependent’s Standard Deduction Apply to?
- all taxpayers eligible to be treated as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return
Kiddie Tax Rule
- $1,100 standard deduction
- next $1,100 taxed at child’s marginal tax rate
- rest of the unearned income is taxed to the child at the parent’s marginal income tax rate (if higher than the child’s marginal income tax rate)