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Estate Planning

Time for the Charitable Remainder Trust to Make a Comeback

With the very real possibility that capital gains will be taxed at ordinary income rates for those making $1,ooo,ooo or more, it is time to consider the charitable remainder trust again.  A charitable remainder trust (CRT) is a split-interest trust, with the grantor receiving an income interest and charity receiving the remainder.  If you have …

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Secure Act Shrinks the Stretch

The recently enacted Secure Act, eliminates the life time stretch of retirement assets for non-spouse beneficiaries, with a few exceptions.  Instead, these assets will now be taxed within ten years.  For the charitably minded client, one idea being touted is a charitable remainder unitrust (CRT).  Based on materials I have seen, the ideal payout rate …

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Estate of Aaron U. Jones-Tax-affecting

The Tax Court in Estate of Aaron U. Jones upheld the use of tax-affecting in the valuation of gifts made of S corporation and limited partnership interests.  The business involved timber, and the income method is typically used to value an ongoing timber business.  Tax-affecting is adjusting the value to reflect an after tax value …

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The Beneficiary Deemed Owned Trust (BDOT)

Some well known planners, such as Stacy Eastland, are recommending consideration of the BDOT for families with significant wealth to plan with the existing $11.2 million exemption.  Most of you are aware of the Beneficiary Defective Inheritor’s Trust (BDIT), which is funded with only $5,000, and provides that all of that $5,000 may be withdrawn …

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Another Conservation Easement Bits the Dust

In theory conservation easements are simple- a landowner grants a perpetual easement on a portion of his land for a charitable purpose and gets an income tax deduction for the reduction in value to the land encumbered by the easement.   Many wealthy landowners have successfully done conservation easements.  However, they have been highly abused over …

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