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Allocating Capital Gains to Distributable Net Income

in Estates and Trusts: Achieving Optimal Tax Treatment

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017, 1:00-2:50 pm Eastern

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Feb. 16, 2017

Allocating Capital Gains to Distributable Net Income in Estates and Trusts

Jeremiah W. Doyle, IV, Senior Wealth Strategist

BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Boston

[email protected]

Jacqueline Patterson, Partner

Buchanan & Patterson, Los Angeles

[email protected]



Notice

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The information contained herein is of a general nature and based on authorities that are

subject to change. Applicability of the information to specific situations should be

determined through consultation with your tax adviser.

5

Including Gains in Distributable Net Income

Jeremiah W. Doyle IV, Esq.

Senior Vice President

BNY Mellon Wealth Management

One Boston Place

Boston, MA

[email protected]

February, 2017

Jacqueline A. Patterson, Esq.

Buchanan & Patterson, LLP

1000 Wilshire Blvd.

Suite 570

Los Angeles, CA 90017

[email protected]

6

What We’ll Cover

• Background

• The Problem – Generally, Gains Are Taxed to the Trust or Estate

• Reg. 1.643(a)-3(b) – Three Ways To Include Gains in DNI

– Method 1

– Method 2

– Method 3

• In-Kind Distribution Under Section 643(e)

• Grantor Trust

• Conclusion

7

Background

• Traditionally, the income beneficiary of a trust would be paid and taxed on the trust accounting income (e.g., interest and dividends) and capital gains would be allocated to principal and taxed to the trust.

• Changes have occurred in investment world – Low yield on equities and bonds

– Trusts investing for total return per the Prudent Investor Act

• Two changes in determination of definition of “income”

– Adoption of “power to adjust” under Section 104 of the UPIA

– Adoption of unitrust statutes

• Changes in tax rates for trusts and estates versus rates for individuals – Estates and trusts reach 20% maximum rate for long-term capital gains, the

39.6% bracket for ordinary income (including short-term capital gains) and the 3.8% surtax at $12,400 of taxable income (2016)

– Individuals reach maximum rate for long-term capital gains and the 3.8% surtax at higher thresholds

8

Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates Code Outline

• PART I, SUBCHAPTER J

– Subpart A - Sec. 641-646 - General Rules

– Subpart B - Sec. 651-652 - Simple Trusts

– Subpart C - Sec. 661-664 - Complex Trusts and CRTs

– Subpart D - Sec. 665-668 - Accumulation Distributions

– Subpart E - Sec. 671-679 - Grantor Trusts

– Subpart F - Sec. 681-685 - Misc. Rules

• PART II, SUBCHAPTER J

– Sec. 691-692 - Income in Respect of a Decedent

9

Background - 2016 Fiduciary Income Tax Rates

Over Not Over

0 2,550 15%

2,550 6,000 25%

6,000 9,150 28%

9,150 12,500 33%

12,500 39.6%

10

Background - Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates

• Income Taxed to Either Entity or Beneficiary

– If income is accumulated and not deemed distributed, it is

taxed to the trust or estate

– If income distributed:

• Trust gets deduction for amount of distribution, limited to

DNI

• Beneficiary accounts for income distributed on his own

tax return, limited to DNI

11

Background - Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates - Distributable Net Income (DNI)

• Distributable Net Income (DNI) governs:

– Amount of trust or estate’s distribution deduction

– Amount beneficiary accounts for on his own return

– Character of income in beneficiary’s hands

12

Background - Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates

Trust/Estate Beneficiary

DNI acts as ceiling

on entity’s

distribution

deduction

DNI acts as ceiling

on amount

beneficiary

accounts for on his

return

DNI

Distribution Deduction (DDNI) Schedule B — Form 1041(Simple Trust)

13

Distribution Deduction (DDNI) Schedule B — Form 1041 Complex

Trust

14

15

Background - DNI - Sec. 643(a)

• Start With Taxable Income and . . .

– Add back the distribution deduction

– Add back the personal exemption

– Subtract out capital gains/add back capital losses allocable to

principal (except in the year of termination)

– Subtract out extraordinary dividends and taxable stock dividends

allocated to corpus for simple trust

– Add back net tax-exempt income

16

Background - DNI - Sec. 643(a)

• General Rule: capital gains generally taxed to trust or estate

– Exceptions:

• 3 situations under Reg. 1.643(a)-3

• Paid to or set permanently set aside for charity. Reg. 1.643(c)

• year of termination

17

Including Capital Gains in DNI – The Problem

• Generally, capital gains are allocated to principal and taxed to the estate or

trust

• Compressed tax rate schedule for estates and trusts

– Short-term capital gains taxed at 39.6% + 3.8% surtax if taxable income

exceeds $12,400 (2016)

– Long-term capital gains taxed at 20% + 3.8% surtax if taxable income

exceeds $12,400 (2016)

• Planning point – have gains taxed to beneficiary where gains would most

likely be taxed at a lower tax rate

18

Including Capital Gains in DNI – The Problem

• Where a beneficiary is entitled to distributions of principal, the beneficiary is

not taxed on the capital gain unless one of the specific exceptions under

Reg. 1.643(a)-3 is satisfied

• For capital gains to be taxed to a beneficiary, the capital gain must be

included in DNI

• Analysis:

– May the fiduciary include capital gains in DNI and have them taxed to the

beneficiary?

– Should the fiduciary allocate capital gains to DNI?

• Overriding factor – trustee must consider his fiduciary duty to both the

income beneficiary and the remainderman in making principal distributions

– Uniform Trust Code imposed a “duty of impartiality” on the trustee

19

Including Capital Gains in DNI – Understatement!!!

Preamble to the proposed regulations:

“. . . The circumstances in which capital

gains are considered paid or credited to a

beneficiary during the year, and therefore

included in distributable net income, are

not entirely clear.”

20

Including Capital Gains in DNI

• The regulations describe 3 circumstances under which capital gains can be

included in DNI. Reg. 1.643(a)-3(b).

• Gains are included in DNI where they are, pursuant to the governing

instrument and applicable local law, or pursuant to a reasonable and

impartial exercise of discretion by the fiduciary in accordance with a power

granted to the fiduciary by applicable local law or by the governing

instrument if not prohibited by applicable local law:

1. Allocated to income (but if income under the state statute is defined as,

or consists of, a unitrust amount, a discretionary power to allocate

gains to income must also be exercised consistently and the amount so

allocated may not be greater than the excess of the unitrust amount

over the amount of DNI determined without regard to this subparagraph

1.643(a)-3(b));

2. Allocated to corpus but treated consistently by the fiduciary on the

trust’s books, records and tax returns as part of a distribution to a

beneficiary; or

3. Allocated to corpus but actually distributed to the beneficiary or utilized

by the fiduciary in determining the amount that is distributed or required

to be distributed to a beneficiary.

21

Analyzing Regulation 1.643(a)-3(b)

• Reg. 1.643(a)-3(b) has specific requirements must be met in order to have

capital gains taxed to the beneficiary

• No pressing the “easy button”

– Capital gains cannot be distributed to a beneficiary without authority in the trust

instrument or state law

• Regulations have:

– Two prerequisites and

– Three methods

22


• Two prerequisites – capital gains included in DNI only if inclusion is

pursuant to:

– Trust agreement and local law; or

– A reasonable and impartial exercise of discretion by the trustee in

accordance with a power granted to the trustee by local law or the trust

agreement if not prohibited by local law.

• Three methods

– Allocated to income

– Allocated to corpus, but treated consistently by the fiduciary on the

trust’s books, records and tax returns as part of distribution to the

beneficiary

– Allocated to corpus, but actually distributed to the beneficiary or

utilized by the fiduciary in determining the amount that is

distributed or required to be distributed to the beneficiary

23


• Method 1, requiring an allocation to income, is limited unless the trust

instrument or state law allocates gains to income (unlikely) or the fiduciary

has broad discretion to allocate capital gains to income.

• Method 2 requires a consistent practice of allocating capital gains to DNI.

This method may not be available if the trust is not in its first year of

existence or if the fiduciary does want to be obligated to allocate capital

gains to DNI in the future.

• Method 3 appears to be the most flexible

25

Regulation 1.643(a)-3(e) – Example 1

• Trust says pay all income to A

• Trust gives trustee discretion to distribute principal to A and to deem it to be

made from capital gains realized during the year.

• Trust has $5,000 of dividends and $10,000 of capital gain

• Trustee allocates $10,000 capital gain to principal

• Trustee distributes $5,000 to A (TAI) and $12,000 discretionary distribution

of principal

• Trustee does not deem the discretionary distribution of principal as being

paid from capital gains

• Gains not included in DNI and are taxed to the trust

• In future years trustee must treat all discretionary distributions of principal

as not being made from capital gain.

26

Method 1 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(1)

• Allocated to income

• By state law (unlikely)

• Trust agreement specifically provides that capital gains are allocated to

income

– A mere general boilerplate statement that the trustee has discretion to

allocate receipts and disbursements between income and principal may

not be enough

• Power to adjust - §104 of UPIA

• Unitrust provision under state law or governing instrument

• The trustee allocates gains to income by a reasonable and impartial

exercise of discretion granted by the trust instrument or by state law

27

Method 1 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(1)

• What if trust instrument is silent as to whether capital gains are allocated to

income and you want to get gains allocated to income under Method 1?

– Possible solution – decant to a new trust that contains language that allocates

(or give the trustee discretion to allocate) gains to income

– Discretion for a trustee to distribute principal in most states is a prerequisite to

being able to decant

28

Method 1 - 1.643(a)-3(e) – Example 4

• Trust agreement allocates capital gain to income

• Same as Example 1 except that terms of trust allocate gains to income.

• $10,000 capital gain is included in DNI and taxed to the beneficiary

29

Trust Accounting Income - TAI

• TRUST ACCOUNTING INCOME

– Could be TAI defined under:

• Traditional definition of income and principal

• Unitrust statute

– Must be no less than 3%, no more than 5% of FMV of trust

assets

• Uniform Principal and Income Act

– Requirements:

» Trust is managed under the Uniform Prudent Investor

Act

» The beneficiary must be eligible for income distributions

» The distribution is not favorable to one beneficiary over

another

30

Method 1 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(1)

• Two alternative ways capital gains can be allocated to income under state

law:

– Power adjust under UPIA

– Unitrust statute

31

Method 1 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(1)

• Power to adjust - theory

– Trust invests for total return, i.e., income and appreciation

– Trustee makes adjustment to allocate a portion of the capital gains to

income to satisfy his duty of impartiality to the income and remainder

beneficiary

– Section 104 of the UPIA gives the trustee the authority to allocate

principal to income to satisfy his duty of impartiality

• Section 104 of the UPIA is the applicable state statute that gives the trustee

authority to allocate gains to income

• IRS agrees that “the power does not have to be exercised consistently, as

long as it is exercised reasonably and impartially.” Preamble to T.D. 9102.

– Thus, the requirements of Reg. 1.643(a)-3(b)(1) to allocate capital

gains to income and include them is DNI is satisfied

32

Method 1 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(1)

• Power to adjust - planning

– §643 regulations don’t have an example if or how capital gains enter into DNI if

trustee exercises the power to adjust

• The power to adjust ALONE does not provide the trustee with authority to include

capital gains in that adjustment.

• Consequently, drafters of new trust instruments should consider granting express

authority to allocate capital gains as part of a power to adjust in the governing

instrument.

• If the governing instrument grants the trustee discretion to determine what is income

and what is principal, it should state that the power includes the discretion over capital

gains.

– For trusts that do not have discretionary power to distribute principal, the trustee

should be able to rely on the power to adjust to shift capital gains to income and

include them in DNI

– However, the power to adjust is limited and may only be exercised under

the appropriate facts and circumstances

33

Method 1 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(1)

• Unitrust - theory

– Term “unitrust” is used to describe a payment to the income beneficiary equal to

a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust property determined at

the beginning of the tax year or averaged over some period.

– Tax treatment depends on whether the governing instrument or the state

unitrust statute has an ordering rule for the character of the unitrust amount.

– Reg. Examples 11-14

34

Method 1 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(1)

• Ordering rule

– “Ordering rule” sets forth the type or source of income which will be deemed to

satisfy the unitrust distribution e.g., first from trust accounting income, next from

STCG, then from LTCG, next from tax-exempt income and lastly from principal)

– If state has an ordering rule, to the extent capital gains are allocated to satisfy

the unitrust amount, the capital gains are included in DNI. See Reg. 1.643-3(b),

Example 11.

– No consistency requirement

35


• Ordering rule

– A entitled to trust income

– State statute says unitrust amount considered paid first from ordinary income

and tax-exempt income, then from STCG, then from net LTCG and finally from

principal

– Income of trust defined by unitrust statute – 4% of FMV of assets

– Trust’s assets FMV of $500,000

– Unitrust amount is $20,000 (4% x $500,000)

– Trust receives $5,000 of dividends and $80,000 of net LTCG

– Trustee distributes $20,000 to A

– $15,000 net LTCG included in DNI ($20,000 unitrust amount less $5,000 of

dividend income deemed distributed first under the ordering statute)

36

Method 1 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(1)

• No ordering rule

– Within the trustee’s discretion to allocate short-term and long-term gains to the

unitrust amount

– If trustee intends to follow a regular practice of treating any capital gains as

distributable to the beneficiary to the extent the unitrust amount exceeds the

trust’s accounting income, the gains will be included in DNI

• Note: the amount of gains included in DNI cannot be more than the amount of the

unitrust amount in excess of the trust accounting income

• The above requirement (amount of gain allocated to DNI cannot exceed the unitrust

amount less trust accounting income) does not apply if the unitrust has an ordering rule

– Consistency requirement

– Reg. Examples 12-13

37


• No ordering rule – doesn’t include gains in DNI

– Same as Example 11 but neither state law nor trust instrument has an ordering

rule

– Trust gives trustee discretion what type of income makes up unitrust amount

– Trustee intends to follow a regular practice of treating principal, other than

capital gain, as distributed to A to the extent the unitrust amount exceeds the

trust’s ordinary and tax-exempt income.

– Trustee does not include capital gain in DNI so the $80,000 capital gain is taxed

to the trust.

– Trustee must consistently follow this treatment of not allocating realized capital

gain to income

38


• No ordering rule –includes gains in DNI

– Same as Example 11 but neither state law nor trust instrument has an ordering

rule

– Trust gives trustee discretion what type of income makes up unitrust amount

– Trustee intends to follow a regular practice of treating capital gain as distributed

to A to the extent the unitrust amount exceeds the trust’s ordinary and tax-

exempt income.

– Trustee includes $15,000 of capital gain in DNI. $15,000 of the capital gain is

taxed A and the remaining $65,000 of capital gain is taxed to the trust.

– Trustee must consistently follow this treatment of not allocating realized capital

gain to income to the extent that the unitrust amount exceeds ordinary and tax-

exempt income

39

Method 1 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(1)

• Disadvantage of unitrust

– Most likely will leave trust with some capital gains

– While a unitrust provision enables the fiduciary to shift some taxable income to

the beneficiary, it may not enable complete income shifting

– In states with no ordering rule, the decision to include capital gains in DNI must

be done consistently.

– Appears that a unitrust format can be used by an existing trust to include gains

in DNI

• The preamble to T.D. 9102 states that “in implementing a different method for

determining income under a state statute, the trustee may establish a pattern for

including or not including capital gains in DNI.”

• Thus, it appears that the trustee can select a new consistent method regardless of the

trustee’s prior treatment. This is not available with the other methods of including

capital gain in DNI.

40

Include Capital Gains in DNI

• In addition to those circumstances mentioned in the regulations, capital

gains flowing from a partnership or S corporation K-1 are included in DNI.

Crisp v. United States, 34 Fed. Cl. 112 (1995).

– Planning point: the trustee may want to consider investing through a partnership

so that capital gains can be distributed and escape the income tax and the

surtax at the trust level

Investment

p/ship Trust

K-1 with gains

Beneficiaries

DNI with p/ship gains

41

Capital Gains from Flow Through Entities

• Capital gains from a flow through entity to a trust should be included in DNI

• Two reasons:

– No distribution from flow-thru entity - In calculating DNI, §643(a) starts with

taxable income and makes adjustments.

• §643(a)(3) says capital gains are excluded from DNI to the extent they are

allocated to corpus and are not paid or required to be distributed to a beneficiary or

for charitable purposes.

• If the gains are not allocated to corpus, there is no provision in the statute to

remove them from DNI.

• If the flow-thru entity makes no distributions of capital gain, the trust has no

receipts that are characterized as income or corpus. Since they are not allocated to

corpus, they are not excluded from DNI

– Distribution from flow-thru entity - Under the UPIA, distributions from flow-thru

entities are treated as trust accounting income rather than principal unless the

distribution is part of a liquidating distribution. Since the distribution from a flow-

thru entity is allocated to income, the gains are included in DNI under Exception

1

43

Method 2 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(2)

• Allocated to corpus, but treated consistently by the fiduciary on the trust’s

books, records and tax returns as part of distribution to the beneficiary

• Trustee makes discretionary distribution of principal and follows a regular

practice of treating the principal distribution first from any capital gains

realized by the trust

• The trustee must clearly evidence that the capital gains are included in the

distribution

– Document on trust’s books and records

– Show inclusion of capital gains on the trust’s tax return

• Key point: this practice must be consistent from year to year

– Capital gains will be included in DNI in each of the future years

– “Consistency” requirement could apply to all capital gains or to a specific asset

or class of investments

– Given the uncertainty of future tax rates for the trust and the beneficiary, the

decision to include capital gains in DNI may or may not be a good idea

44

Method 2 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(2)

• Trustee could be given discretion to treat principal distributions consisting of

capital gains

– Trustee must document that capital gains are included in DNI

– Consistency requirement

• Term “consistency” not clearly defined in regulations

• Once employed, future principal distributions deemed included in

DNI

• May prohibit existing trusts that have not treated capital gains as

part of the distribution to beneficiaries from using this method

– Examples in regulations make it relatively clear that the

establishment of a practice of distributing gains must

commence in the first year in which a distribution of principal

occurs

– Possible solution: decant into a new trust and use Method 2 in

first year

– Possible solution: amend returns and include gain in DNI if S/L

still open for first year or trust

– Possible solution: rely on method 3

45

Method 2 - Regulation 1.643(a)-3(e) – Example 1

• Trust says pay all income to A

• Trust gives trustee discretion to distribute principal to A and to deem it to be

made from capital gains realized during the year.

• During first taxable year trust has $5,000 of dividends and $10,000 of

capital gain

• Trustee allocates $10,000 capital gain to principal

• Trustee distributes $5,000 to A (TAI) and $12,000 discretionary distribution

of principal

• Trustee does not deem the discretionary distribution of principal as being

paid from capital gains

• Gains not included in DNI and are taxed to the trust

• In future years trustee must treat all discretionary distributions of principal

as not being made from realized capital gains.

46


• Same as Example 1 except the trustee decides to follow a regular practice

of treating discretionary principal distributions as being made first from any

capital gains realized by the trust during the year

• Trustee includes $10,000 of capital gain in DNI on the tax return so the

$10,000 capital gain is taxed to A

• In future years the trustee must treat all discretionary principal distributions

as made first from capital gains

47


• Same as Example 1 except the trustee decides to follow a regular practice

of treating discretionary principal distributions as being made first from any

capital gains from the sale of certain specified assets or a particular class of

investments

• This is a reasonable exercise of the trustee’s discretion

• Must define the specified assets or the particular class of assets

48

Method 3 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(3)

• Allocated to corpus, but actually distributed to the beneficiary or utilized

by the fiduciary in determining the amount that is distributed or

required to be distributed to the beneficiary

• Regulations do not address whether this method may be used if the

principal distribution is greater than or less than the actual capital gains for

the year

• No consistency requirement (although the examples seem to require

consistency if no distribution is required but the capital gains are utilized to

to determine the amount of a distribution).

• Method 3 is useful for older or existing trusts which are silent on whether

capital gains can be allocated to income

49

Method 3 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(3)

• Two alternatives:

– Actually distribute capital gains to a beneficiary

– Use capital gains to determine amount distributed or required to be distributed to

a beneficiary

– No consistency requirement

50

Method 3 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(3)

• Actually distribute capital gains to a beneficiary

– Trusts with age attainment distribution provisions

– May have limited use.

– Regulation requires a mandatory principal distribution or a situation

where the proceeds of a specific asset are distributed to a beneficiary

– What if the trust has sufficient cash to fund the distribution? Does this

method still apply to cause gains to be included in DNI?

– Money is fungible – how do you know capital gains are being

distributed?

51

Method 3 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(3) – Example 9

• Actually distribute capital gains to a beneficiary

– Trusts says all income paid to A during trust’s term

– Distribute one-half of the principal to A at age 35 and the balance at

age 45

– Trust consists entirely of Corporation M stock with a FMV of $1,000,000

and an adjusted basis of $300,000

– When A reaches 35, trustee sells one-half of the stock and distributes

the proceeds to A

– All of the sales proceeds, including all the capital gain from the sale,

are actually distributed to A and thus all the capital gain is included in

DNI

52


• Trust termination – actually distributed

• All income payable to A

• When A reaches 35, trust terminates and all principal is distributed to A

• Since all assets of the trust, including capital gain, will actually be

distributed to A upon termination of the trust, all capital gains in the year of

termination are included in DNI and taxed to A

53

Method 3 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(3)

• Use capital gains to determine amount distributed or required to be

distributed to a beneficiary

– Trustee makes a discretionary distribution to the beneficiary based on the trust’s

realized capital gains. For example, trustee decides that discretionary

distributions will be made to the extent the trust has realized capital gains. The

capital gains distributed would be included in DNI.

– See Reg. 1.643(a)-3(b), Example 5

54


• Distribution based on capital gains

• Facts same as Example 1 except that the trustee decides that discretionary

distributions will be made only to the extent the trust has realized capital

gains during the year.

• Thus, the discretionary distribution of principal to A is $10,000 rather than

$12,000.

– In Example 1, the gains were $10,000 but the trustee made a discretionary

principal distribution of $12,000 i.e. more than the amount of the gain

• Since the trustee uses the amount of capital gain realized to determine the

amount of the discretionary distribution to A, $10,000 of the capital gain is

included in DNI and taxed to A. The $2,000 balance of the capital gain is

taxed to the trust.

• Capital loss netting under Reg. 1.643(a)-3(d).

– Only net gains considered under Method 3

55

Method 3 - 1.643(a)-3(b)(3) – Example 6

• Distribution based on sales proceeds

• Trust assets consist of Blackacre and other property

• Trustee is directed to hold Blackacre from 10 years and then sell it and

distribute all the sales proceeds to A

• Since trustee uses the sales proceeds that includes any capital gain to

determine the amount required to be distributed to A, any capital gain

realized from the sale of Blackacre is included in the trust’s DNI

56


• Bottom line

– Best when appropriate discretion is expressly granted in the trust

agreement

• Attorneys should consider including such discretionary language in trust

instruments going forward

– Alternatively, local law may provide the discretionary powers

– If not, consider:

• Power to adjust

• Decanting (if available)

57

Sample Language

Sample language giving the trustee discretion to utilize the flexibility of the

regulations to cause capital gains to be included in DNI:

“The Trustee may allocate realized short-term capital gains and/or long-

term capital gains to either trust income or trust principal, and such

gains shall be includable in distributable net income as defined in I.R.C.

§643 and the regulations thereunder (1) to the extent that such gains

are allocated to income and distributed to the trust beneficiary; or (2) if

such gains are allocated to principal, to the extent they are consistently

treated as part of a distribution to the trust beneficiary, actually

distributed to the trust beneficiary, or used by the Trustee in

determining the amount distributable to the trust beneficiary.”

58


• Other considerations:

– Trustee’s fiduciary duty to balance competing interests of the

beneficiaries

– Spendthrift issues

– Asset protection

– Exposure to estate tax

59

In-Kind Distributions Under §643(e)

• General rule: An estate or trust does not recognize gain or loss on the in-

kind distribution of property to a beneficiary. §643(e).

– Caution: gain is triggered at trust level if in satisfaction of a mandatory income

distribution. See Reg. 1.661(a)-2(f); Reg. 1.651-2(d).

• The beneficiary takes a carryover basis in the property. §643(e)(1).

• §643(e) allows the fiduciary to determine where the gain will be recognized:

at the entity level or at the beneficiary level.

• Requirement: the trust instrument or local law must allow the trustee to make

discretionary distributions of principal and the power to distribute in cash or

in-kind, or partly in cash and in-kind

• This may allow the beneficiary to time the recognition of gain to a time when

he will not be subject to the 3.8% surtax.

– A beneficiary who holds the property until death will get a step-up in

basis and avoid the tax on the gain altogether.

60

Grantor Trust

• Gains taxed to grantor or beneficiary to extent trust is a grantor trust due to

powers held under §§673-677 or to the extent the trust is a “deemed” grantor

trust under §678.

• Irrevocable trust may be structured as a grantor trust so capital gains are

taxed to the grantor

– Structure trust for benefit of non-grantor beneficiaries as a grantor trust

• Beneficiary of irrevocable trust may have withdrawal power so that

beneficiary is taxed on some or all of the gains.

– Crummey withdrawal power

– 5 x 5 power

61

Conclusion

• Background

• The Problem – Generally, Gains Are Taxed to the Trust or Estate

• Reg. 1.643(a)-3(b) – Three Ways To Include Gains in DNI

– Method 1

– Method 2

– Method 3

• In-Kind Distribution Under Section 643(e)

• Grantor Trust

• Conclusion

62

Resources

• Federal Income Taxation of Estates, Trusts and Beneficiaries, 3rd

Edition by Ferguson, Freeland and Ascher (Aspen/CCH)

• 1041 Deskbook (Practitioners Publishing Co)

• Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates, 852-3rd (BNA portfolio –

Estate, Gift and Trust series)

• Federal Income Taxation of Decedents, Estates and Trusts,

David A. Berek (2013 Edition) (CCH)

• Federal Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates, by Zaritsky and

Lane, 3rd Edition (RIA/Thompson/West)

• Income Taxation of Fiduciaries and Beneficiaries by Byrle M.

Abbin, 2 volumes, 2015 Edition (CCH)

allocating capital gains to distributable net income in...

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