Creation and funding of a charitable Trust can have a quadruple benefit.
- You get to avoid a large capital gain tax on a highly appreciated property.
- You get to receive the income from this highly appreciated property for the rest of your life.
- You remove an asset from your estate, without paying either gift or estate taxes.
- Finally, you get to make a gift to a good cause of your choice.
There are multiple ways of structuring a charitable Trust. One method involves receiving income from the trust for life based on the percentage of the value of the trust, and then the principal going to the charity. Another method involves paying the donor a fixed dollar amount for life, and then the remainder going to the charity. Yet another method is having the charity receive the income from the trust for the life of the donor, and then the remainder going to the donor’s heirs. There are many other variations available, each has its own tax implications.
If you are interested, we will consider creating a Charitable Trust for you as part of a comprehensive estate planning solution.