Marital and Related Trusts | Private Trust Company: Planning, Administration & More

What are marital and related trusts?

The term “marital and related trusts” refers to the several types of trusts that married individuals can establish to maximize use of their estate tax applicable exclusion amounts (the amount that can be sheltered from federal gift and estate tax by the unified credit) which, when combined with the unlimited marital deduction, allows the surviving spouse to benefit from family wealth during his or her lifetime while providing for the couple’s beneficiaries on the death of the surviving spouse. There are six different types of trusts that can be used to accomplish these goals.

The most common type of estate planning that a married couple will do is called marital deduction and bypass planning. Each person in a marriage will set up two (and sometimes three) separate trusts either during his or her lifetime or in his or her will. The first spouse to die will transfer enough of his or her assets into one trust (called a credit shelter or bypass trust) to fully utilize the applicable exclusion amount then available to that spouse. The remaining assets of the first spouse to die will then go to one or even two marital trusts.

Tip: In 2011 and later years, the unused basic exclusion of a deceased spouse is portable and may allow you and your spouse to take full advantage of the estate tax applicable exclusion amount without using a credit shelter or bypass trust.

The most commonly used type of marital trust is a qualified terminable interest property trust, or QTIP trust, which allows the decedent spouse to take full advantage of the unlimited marital deduction. With a QTIP trust, the surviving spouse must receive all the income from the trust assets for life and may receive distributions from principal depending on the trust’s terms. The assets in a QTIP trust are included in the estate of the surviving spouse for estate tax purposes. The surviving spouse’s applicable exclusion amount can be used to shelter some or all of these assets from potential estate taxes. The main benefit to using a QTIP trust is that the first spouse to die can designate in the trust document how the trust assets pass on the death of the surviving spouse (e.g., to the couple’s children).

Another type of marital trust is a qualified domestic trust (QDOT), which is used where one spouse is not a citizen of the United States. A direct transfer from the U.S. citizen spouse to the noncitizen spouse will not qualify for the unlimited marital deduction. The transfer can qualify for this deduction, however, if the assets are put in a QDOT. The noncitizen spouse can receive all the income from the trust assets for his or her lifetime, but cannot receive principal from the QDOT without it being potentially subject to estate taxes. This is to prevent the noncitizen spouse from removing the assets from the jurisdiction of U.S. taxing authorities thereby allowing them to escape potential estate taxation altogether.

Another type of trust often used by spouses is called a disclaimer trust. There are certain situations when it makes sense for one spouse to disclaim a bequest from the other spouse (i.e., refuse to accept money or assets that have been left to him or her in the other spouse’s will). Each spouse can create a disclaimer trust to hold any assets that might be disclaimed by the surviving spouse. The disclaimer trust document can be drafted to allow a QTIP election to be made if desirable and to designate to whom the assets pass on the death of the surviving spouse.

What are the different types of marital and related trusts?

There are six basic types of marital and related trusts.

Credit shelter trust

Typically, with marital deduction and bypass planning, both spouses will set up a credit shelter trust (also called a bypass trust). Assets transferred to a credit shelter trust are includable in the estate of the first spouse to die. However, the credit shelter trust is generally drafted so that just enough assets are transferred to the trust to fully utilize the deceased spouse’s applicable exclusion amount. Thus, no estate taxes are actually imposed on the credit shelter amount.

If desired, the surviving spouse could be given the right to receive all the income from the trust assets, or income may also be given to the couple’s children or to anyone else or accumulated for the benefit of the remainder beneficiaries. The surviving spouse may also be given access to trust principal under certain circumstances. Because the assets are included in the estate of the first spouse to die, the assets, including any appreciation, are not included in the estate of the surviving spouse for estate tax purposes and pass to the remainder beneficiaries estate tax free.

Qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trust

A commonly used type of marital trust is a qualified terminable interest property trust. Assets of the first spouse to die that do not fund the credit shelter trust will be transferred to a QTIP trust. The assets in the QTIP trust qualify for the unlimited marital deduction and thus will not be subject to estate taxes in the estate of the first spouse to die.

The assets will be includable in the estate of the surviving spouse. The surviving spouse can use his or her applicable exclusion amount to protect some or all of these assets from estate taxes. With a QTIP trust, the surviving spouse must receive all the income, at least annually, from the trust for as long as that spouse is alive. Furthermore, the surviving spouse must be given the power to force the trustee of the QTIP to convert the assets in the trust to income-producing assets.

The main benefit to establishing a QTIP trust is that the first spouse to die can designate in the trust document who should receive the assets in the trust upon the death of the surviving spouse. Many married couples use a QTIP trust if there are children from the current or previous marriage that they would like to inherit the assets. Transferring assets to a QTIP trust prevents the surviving spouse from consuming or gifting away the assets, disinheriting certain family members of the deceased spouse, or leaving assets to a new spouse.

Power of appointment trust

Another commonly used type of marital trust that qualifies for the unlimited marital deduction is called a power of appointment trust. Like a QTIP trust, the surviving spouse must receive all the income, at least annually, from the trust for as long as he or she is alive. The surviving spouse must also be given a general power of appointment over the assets in the trust.

A general power of appointment gives the surviving spouse the right to use the property in the trust for his or her own needs, or to transfer the property to someone else including his or her estate, his or her creditors, or the creditors of his or her estate. It is also important with a power of appointment trust that the surviving spouse be able to exercise the power of appointment alone (e.g., without the approval of the trustee of the trust or the remainder beneficiaries). Unlike a QTIP trust, the surviving spouse has control over the assets in the trust after the first spouse dies. For this reason, married couples may not want to use a power of appointment trust if they want the assets in the trust to eventually pass to specific individuals designated by the first spouse to die.

The assets in a power of appointment trust will qualify for the unlimited marital deduction and will not be included in the estate of the first spouse to die. The assets will be includable in the estate of the surviving spouse, unless that spouse consumes or gives away the assets during his or her lifetime. Of course, the surviving spouse can use his or her applicable exclusion amount to protect some or all of the assets in the trust from estate taxes.

Some married couples set up both a QTIP trust and a power of appointment trust. The assets of the first spouse to die that are not used to fund the credit shelter trust can be split between these two trusts.

Estate trust

A less commonly used type of marital trust that qualifies for the unlimited marital deduction is called an estate trust. This type of trust is less frequently used than either a QTIP trust or a power of appointment trust. With an estate trust, the surviving spouse need not receive all the income from the trust for his or her lifetime and does not have to be given the right to force the trustee to convert the assets in the trust into income-producing assets. Thus, an estate trust makes sense if the first spouse to die wants to fund the trust with non-income-producing assets, such as closely held stock or undeveloped real estate. An estate trust can also be used where the surviving spouse will not need additional income from the trust during his or her continuing life.

As with the other types of marital trusts, any assets in an estate trust will not be includable in the estate of the first spouse to die because of the application of the unlimited marital deduction. However, the assets will be includable in the surviving spouse’s estate. Upon the death of the surviving spouse, the trust assets and any accumulated income pass to the surviving spouse’s estate.

Qualified domestic trust (QDOT)

A final type of marital trust that qualifies for the marital deduction is called a QDOT. A QDOT is used when one of the spouses is not a citizen of the United States. A transfer of assets to a noncitizen spouse will qualify for the unlimited marital deduction only if the transfer is made to a QDOT. The noncitizen spouse can receive all of the income from the trust, but any distributions of the principal will be taxed as if the assets had been included in the gross estate of the first spouse to die. It should be noted that a citizen spouse may make transfers of up to $164,000 (in 2022, $159,000 in 2021) per year directly to a noncitizen spouse during the citizen spouse’s lifetime without incurring a gift tax.

Technical Note: The unlimited gift tax marital deduction is not available for a gift to a spouse who is not a United States citizen. However, the regular gift tax annual exclusion of $16,000 (in 2022) is increased for such a gift to $164,000 (in 2022) if the gift would otherwise qualify for the marital deduction if the spouse were a United States citizen.

Disclaimer trust

A final type of trust that married couples use is a disclaimer trust. A spouse may disclaim (or refuse to accept) assets that have been left to him or her by the deceased spouse. There are times when it may make sense, for estate tax purposes or for other reasons, not to accept the bequeathed assets, but rather to allow them to pass as if the disclaimant predeceased the decedent. A disclaimer trust may be established by will or in a separate inter vivos document. The will can specify that any disclaimed assets will pass to the disclaimer trust and then be distributed in accordance with the terms of the trust.

This article was prepared by Broadridge.

LPL Tracking #1-05113510