Transfers Outright & In Trust (Lesson 3) Flashcards
What is a Arm’s Length Transaction
- is a transfer between unrelated parties in the form of a sale, an installment sale, or an exchange
Does a arms length transaction attempt to reduce the transferors gross estate
- no the transaction does not attempt to reduce the transferors gross estate or to economically benefit the transferee
What is an installment sale
- is a sale of property in which the buyer makes a series of installment payments to the seller
What happens if there is still an outstanding installment sale at the decedents death
- at the sellers death any outstanding principal of the installment note including any accrued interest is included in the sellers gross estate
What is a exchange
- is a mutual transfer of assets with equal fair market values between individuals
- not directly impact a transfers gross estate
What happens when an individual sells an asset for an amount less than the assets FMV
- the seller is deemed to have made a gift to the buyer equal to the difference between the FMV of the property and the actual sales price
What are the characteristics of a bargain sale
- the property is removed from the transferors gross estate and is replaced by a reduced amount
- any appreciation or income on the property after the transaction is completed is attributable to the buyer/donee
What is a sales (gift) and leaseback gifting strategy
- is an arrangement whereby a company owning fully depreciated property sells the property to a buyer (usually a family member in a low bracket)
- new owner then leases the asset back to the former owner who becomes the lessee
- Lessee receives cash from the sale of the asset and the lessee makes deductible lease payments and retains the use of the asset
What is the gifting strategy that uses a private annuity
- Two parties are usually unrelated
- seller/annuitant sells an asset to a buyer in exchange for an unsecured promise from the buyer to make fixed payments to the annuitant for the remainder of the annuitants life
- Must be unsecured
- Defers the recognition of any capital gains over their remining life expectancy
(Private Annuity Gifting Strategy)
What happens if the annuitant dies before receiving all of the payments
- since the annuitant does not have any right to annuity payments after their death the value of the private annuity is zero at death of the annuitant and is not included in the seller/annuitants gross estate
(Private Annuity Gifting Strategy)
What are the risks of using the private annuity strategy
- involves investment risk for both the seller/annuitant and the buyer
- Promise is unsecured
- default risk if the buyer does not make the payments
(Private Annuity Gifting Strategy)
What are the income tax issues with using the private annuity gifting strategy
- private annuity is split into three components:
- interest
- capital gain
- income tax free return of capital
What do you calculate the exclusion ratio
Adjusted Basis/Total of Expected Payments = Exclusion ratio
(SCIN Gifting Strategy)
What is a self canceling installment note
- involves a sale for the full FMV of the property transferred over a term defined by the seller
- If the the seller dies before all the installment payments have been made the note is cancelled and the buyer has no further obligation to pay
(SCIN Gifting Strategy)
What risk is the seller taking with a SCIN
- taking the risk that they will die before receiving all payments under the SCIN and must be compensated for the risk
- Buyer pays a premium called a SCIN premium to compensate for the risk
(SCIN Gifting Strategy)
What are the gift and estate tax consequences of using a SCIN
- Property transferred is removed from the sellers gross estate
- No gift as long as the PV of the note less the SCIN premium is equal to the FMV of the asset transferred
Is the interest on a SCIN or Private annuity deductible
- only the interest on the SCIN is deductible if permitted by the IRC
What is the buyers adjusted basis in the property if a SCIN is used
- regardless of the number of installment payments made, is the agreed upon purchase price of the property, which includes the full face value of the remaining note payments
What are the four components of an installment payment for a SCIN
- Interest income
- capital gain
- return of adjusted basis
- SCIN premium which is either additional interest or capital gain depending upon how the SCIN premium was calculated
(SCIN Gifting Strategy)
What are the risks of using a SCIN
- the seller of the property undertakes default risk, interest rate risk, purchasing power risk, and reinvestment risk
- buyers risk is that the transferor outlives the SCIN term and thus the buyer pays more for the property by an amount equal to the SCIN premium
- Buyer also has business risk
(SCIN vs. Private Annuity)
What is the term of the payments under the below:
SCIN
Private Annuity
- SCIN:
- Determined by the seller
- Private Annuity:
- Life of the Annuitant
(SCIN vs. Private Annuity)
Is the interest paid deductible for the below:
SCIN
Private Annuity
- SCIN:
- Depends on the Property
- Private Annuity:
- Not deductible
(SCIN vs. Private Annuity)
What is the buyers adjusted basis for the below
SCIN
Private Annuity
- SCIN:
- Purchase price of the Property
- Private Annuity:
- Sum of annuity payments paid
(SCIN vs. Private Annuity)
Does the seller keep a collateral interest in the property for the below
SCIN
Private Annuity
- SCIN:
- Yes
- Private Annuity:
- No
What is a Granter Retained Annuity Trust
- is an irrevocable trust that pays a fixed annuity to the grantor for a defined term and pays the remainder interest of the trust to a noncharitable beneficiary at the end of the GRAT term
What are the gift and estate tax consequences of a GRAT
- at the creation of a GRAT, assuming the retained annuity interest is payable to the grantor, the annuity portion is not subject to gift tax
- The PV of the expected future remainder interest is a gift of a future interest subject to gift tax
When is the appropriate time to use a GRAT
- when the transferor holds property that is expected to appreciate at a rate greater than the Section 7520 interest rate applicable to the GRAT
What happens if the grantor of the GRAT dies during the annuity term
- the FMV of the property within the GRAT as of the grantors death is included in their gross estate
- Considered a failed GRAT
What are the income tax consequences of a GRAT
- subject to grantor trust rules
- all of the trust income flows through to the grantor annually without regard to distributions
What is a Grantor retained unitrust
- instead of a fixed annuity a GRUT pays a fixed percentage of the trusts assets each year as revalued on an annual basis
- Less suitable for hard to value assets
What is Qualified personal Residence Trust (QPRT)
- is a special form of GRAT
- grantor contributes a personal residence to a trust and instead of receiving an annuity in dollars, the grantor of the QPRT receives use of the personal residence as the annuity interest component
What happens if the grantor is still living at the end of the QPRT
- if grantor is still living he may then lease at a FMV rent the property from the remainderman and continue to use the personal residence
What happens if the grantor dies before the end of the QPRT
- the FMV of the residence is included in the grantors gross estate
How many residences can a QPRT have and how many QPRTs can an individual have
- Can hold one residence
- Person can have up to two QPRTs
What is a tangible personal property trust
- are very similar to QPRTs except a TPPT is funded with personal property not real property
- transfers artwork, antiques, and other items of personal property
- grantor retains the right to use the property that has been transfer to the trust
What happens if a grantor dies before the end of a TPPT
- the full FMV of the trust property will be included in the grantors gross estate
What is a family limited partnership
- FLP is a limited partnership created under state laws with the primary purpose of transferring assets to younger generations using valuation discounts
How is a FLP set up
- one or more family members transfer highly appreciating property to a limited partnership in return for both the 1% general and the 99% limited partnership interests
- General partners have unlimited liability and the sole management rights of the partnership
- limited partners are passive investors with limited liability and no management rights
How is a FLP used for gifting strategies
- once the FLP is created the owner of the general and limit partnership interests values the limited partnership interests
- the limited interests are usually eligible for the marketability and control discounts
- these limited interests are then gifted to individuals using the annual gift tax annual exclusion
How are assets controlled under a FLP
- Transfer retains control of the property by controlling the 1% GP interest
How does a FLP make sure to possess economic substance so that it is eligible for the discounted value
- by having its own checking accounts, tax ID, payroller (including reasonable compensation to the GP if he is managing the business), and should not allow family members to withdraw funds at will, nor pay for personal expenses of its owners
When will Medicaid pay long term care in a nursing home
- US citizen or resident alien permanently residing in the US
- Age 65, disabled, or blind
- Meet the income and asset test ($2,000 on countable assets for in individuals and $3,000 for married couples when both are receiving care)
- Common income test is 133% of the federal poverty level
What are the assets specifically excluded for the asset count for Medicaid
- Home (typically $525,000 to $750,000 of equity)
- Car and personal property
- Term life insurance, whole life with little to no cash value, retirement accounts
What is the Medicaid penalty period calculation
- is equal to the amount of money gifted or transferred in the 60 months prior to application divided by the cost of the nursing home
- the individual must then spend down their assets to the Medicaid eligibility amount
Which transfers are permitted and will not cause a period of Medicaid ineligibility
- transfers to a spouse
- child who is blind or disabled
- trust for the benefit of someone under age 65 and disabled
- transfer of a home to a child under age 21 that has lived in the home at least 2 years prior to the transfer to a nursing home
- transfer of a home to a sibling who has an equity interest in the home or lived in it for at least before the applicant moved to the nursing home
What is the residuary estate
- consists of what is left after all specific bequests have been satisfied
What is a universal legatee
- created when the testator gives to one or several persons their entire estate
What is a residual legatee
- receives the balance of the estate after all specific bequests are satisfied
Will simply not listing an heir in a will disinherit an individual
- No
What is considered a transfer at death by contract
- life insurance
- annuities
- qualified plans
- IRAs
- TODs
- Totten Trusts
- PODs
(Transfer at Death by Operation of Law)
What are the two forms of titling (survivorship feature)
- joint tenancy with right of survivorship
- tenancy by the entirety
What type of trust is treated by will
Testamentary trusts
What type of trust are created but not funded prior to the grantors death
standby trusts
What is a trust
- is a structure that vests legal title to assets in one party, the trustee, who manages those assets for the benefit of the beneficiaries of the trust
What is a grantor of the trust
- person who creates and initially funds the trust
- establishes the terms and provisions of the trust
- can have multiple grantors per trust
What is the trustee of the trust
- is the individual or entity responsible for managing the trust assets and carrying out the direction of the grantor that are formally expressed in the trust instrument
What are the two main duties assigned to a trustee
- duty of loyalty
- duty of care
What is the prudent man rule that is assigned to a trustee
- states that the trustee must act in the same manner that a prudent person would act if the prudent person was acting for their own benefit after considering all the facts and circumstances
What are the reasons to use a trust
- Management
- Creditor Protection
- Split interests in Property
- Avoiding probate
- minimizing taxes
What provision can be added to a trust to protect it from creditors
- spendthrift provision coupled with a provision that allows the trustee to make distributions solely on a discretionary basis
What is a self settled trust
- the beneficiary is also the grantor of the trust
How can trusts generate tax savings
- transfer of future appreciation to the grantors heir
- minimization of transfer taxes on subsequent generations
- reduction in the size of the grantors gross estate
What is the rule against purpertuities
- states that all interests in trust must vest within lives in being plus 21 years
What are simple trusts
- trusts that must distribute all income
What is a complex trust
- a trust that is permitted to accumulate income, benefit a charity, or distribute principal