Tax Law Requires Flexibility

Tax law uncertainty requires an estate plan that can roll with the changes

Events of the last decade have taught us that taxes are anything but certain. Case in point: Congress is mulling abolishing gift and estate taxes as part of tax reform. So how can people who hope to still have long lifespans ahead of them plan their estates when the tax landscape may look dramatically different 20, 30 or 40 years from now? The answer is by taking a flexible approach that allows you to hedge your bets.

Conflicting strategies

Many traditional estate planning techniques evolved during a time when the gift and estate tax exemption was relatively low and the top estate tax rate was substantially higher than the top income tax rate. Under those circumstances, it usually made sense to remove assets from the estate early to shield future asset appreciation from estate taxes.

Today, the exemption has climbed to $5.49 million and the top gift and estate tax rate (40%) is roughly the same as the top income tax rate (39.6%). If your estate’s worth is within the exemption amount, estate tax isn’t a concern and there’s no gift and estate tax benefit to making lifetime gifts.

But under current law there’s a big income tax advantage to keeping assets in your estate: The basis of assets transferred at your death is stepped up to their current fair market value, so beneficiaries can turn around and sell them without generating capital gains tax liability. Assets you transfer by gift, however, retain your basis, so beneficiaries who sell appreciated assets face a significant tax bill.

Flexibility is key

A carefully designed trust can make it possible to remove assets from your estate now, while giving the trustee the authority to force the assets back into your estate if that turns out to be the better strategy. This allows you to shield decades of appreciation from estate tax while retaining the option to include the assets in your estate should income tax savings become a priority (assuming the step-up in basis remains, which is also uncertain).

For the technique to work, the trust must be irrevocable, the grantor (you) must retain no control over the trust assets (including the ability to remove and replace the trustee) and the trustee should have absolute discretion over distributions. In the event that estate inclusion becomes desirable, the trustee should have the authority to cause such inclusion by, for example, naming you as successor trustee or giving you a general power of appointment over the trust assets.

In determining whether to exercise this option, the trustee should consider several factors, including potential estate tax liability, if any, the beneficiaries’ potential liability for federal and state capital gains taxes, and whether the beneficiaries plan to sell or hold onto the assets.

Consider the risk

This trust type offers welcome flexibility, but it’s not risk-free. Contact us for additional information.

REVOCABLE TRUSTS

Have you properly funded your revocable trust?

If your estate plan includes a revocable trust — also known as a “living” trust — it’s critical to ensure that the trust is properly funded. Revocable trusts offer significant benefits, including asset management (in the event you become incapacitated) and probate avoidance. But these benefits aren’t available if you don’t fund the trust.

The basics

A revocable trust acts as a will substitute, although you’ll still need to have a short will, often referred to as a “pour over” will. The trust holds assets for your benefit during your lifetime.

You can serve as trustee or select someone else. If you choose to be the trustee, you must name a successor trustee to take over as trustee upon your death, serving in a role similar to that of an executor.

Essentially, you retain the same control you had before you established the trust. Whether or not you serve as trustee, you retain the right to revoke the trust and appoint and remove trustees. If you name a professional trustee to manage trust assets, you can require the trustee to consult with you before buying or selling assets.

The trust doesn’t need to file an income tax return until after you die. Instead, you pay the tax on any income the trust earns as if you had never created the trust.

Asset ownership transfer

Funding your trust is simply a matter of transferring ownership of assets to the trust. Assets you should transfer include real estate, bank accounts, certificates of deposit, stocks and other investments, partnership and business interests, vehicles, and personal property (such as furniture and collectibles).

Certain assets shouldn’t, however, be transferred to a revocable trust. For example, moving an IRA or qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) plan, to a revocable trust can trigger undesirable tax consequences. And it may be advisable to hold a life insurance policy in an irrevocable life insurance trust to shield the proceeds from estate taxes.

Don’t forget to transfer new assets to the trust

Most people are diligent about funding a trust at the time they sign the trust documents. But trouble can arise when they acquire new assets after the trust is established. Unless you transfer new assets to your trust, they won’t enjoy the trust’s benefits.

To make the most of a revocable trust, be sure that, each time you acquire a significant asset, you take steps to transfer it to the trust. If you have additional questions regarding your revocable trust, we’d be happy to answer them.