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Do trusts avoid death taxes?

Do trusts avoid death taxes?

As mentioned, trusts are one of the most reliable and effective ways to legally reduce the size of an estate. When set up properly, trusts can either greatly reduce how much of an estate is taxed at the 40-percent rate or eliminate the estate tax burden altogether.

What is the difference between a marital trust and a bypass trust?

A bypass trust, or AB trust, is a legal arrangement that allows married couples to avoid estate tax on certain assets when one spouse passes away. The marital trust is a revocable trust that belongs to the surviving spouse. A revocable trust has terms that can be changed by the person who established the trust.

Is a marital trust a simple trust?

A marital trust is a type of irrevocable trust that allows you to transfer assets to a surviving spouse tax free. It can also shield the estate of the surviving spouse before the remaining assets pass on to your children.

What happens to a marital trust when the surviving spouse dies?

However, when the surviving spouse dies, the remaining trust assets will be subject to estate taxes. To further avoid estate taxes when the surviving spouse dies, a marital trust is sometimes used in conjunction with a credit shelter trust (also called a “B” trust).

When is a marital trust subject to estate tax?

If the deceased spouse’s assets exceed $11.18 million, the excess assets fund the marital trust. Any assets above the exemption are not subject to estate taxes until after the surviving spouse passes away. When the surviving spouse passes away, the surviving spouse still has his or her estate tax exemption.

What are the benefits of a marital trust?

A marital trust allows the couple’s heirs to avoid probate and take less of a hit from estate taxes by taking full advantage of the unlimited marital deduction, which allows spouses to pass assets to each other without tax consequences.

What happens to the assets of a family trust?

The couple divides their assets evenly in their names or the name of the revocable living trust. Do not leave the marital assets in joint accounts, as these assets pass outside the trust. If one spouse dies in 2018, the first $11.18 million would be funded into the family trust, or the B trust.

What happens to a marital trust when the first spouse dies?

A. Married couples can leave instructions in their will or in their living trust to establish new A/B trusts when the first spouse dies. In an A/B Trust, the marital assets are split and transferred to two separate trusts, known as trust “A” and trust “B,” created when the first spouse dies.

If the deceased spouse’s assets exceed $11.18 million, the excess assets fund the marital trust. Any assets above the exemption are not subject to estate taxes until after the surviving spouse passes away. When the surviving spouse passes away, the surviving spouse still has his or her estate tax exemption.

What happens to the money in a trust when you die?

The trustmaker still legally owns the assets funded into the trust, so the IRS says it still contributes to the individual’s estate for estate tax purposes when they die.

What should be included in a marital trust?

You can establish a marital trust with the help of an attorney who specializes in estate planning. The trust document must specify all assets and property held in the trust. This can include nearly anything of value. That includes stocks, bonds, mutual funds, cash and physical property.