Are You Aware Decanting Causes Tax Issues?

Download Printable Article By Robert S. Keebler, CPA/PFS, MST, AEP (Distinguished), CGMA Decanting is the act of distributing the assets of an old trust to a new one with more favorable terms. It provides an easy, inexpensive method for correcting errors or ambiguities, adapting a trust to changes in a settlor’s objectives or changes in a beneficiary’s circumstances, taking advantage of new planning opportunities or adding flexibility to a trust. However, because trust decanting is a relatively new estate planning strategy, its tax consequences have not yet been clearly established. The IRS is considering ways to address these tax consequences…