Miscellaneous

GST Credit Shelter Trust


Say you have a couple with $32 million dollars divided between their two trusts, when the Illinois state estate tax exemption is $4 million and the federal exemptions are $13 million. They want to leave income to each other, then as much as possible tax-free their grandkids, then the remainder to their children. Assume he then dies. Three trusts are needed:

$3 million
Income to wife
Then outright to kids

Marital Trust

Above all exemptions

Uses marital deduction for his death and subjects it to estate taxes on both her and the kids' deaths

$9 million
Income to wife
Then income to kids
Then outright to grandkids

Reverse QTIP Trust

Wholly subject to IL estate tax

Pays no other taxes

Uses marital deduction

Uses her federal estate tax exemption (with $9 million of his added on)

Requires reverse QTIP election on his Form 706

Uses his GST tax exemption

$4 million
Income to wife
Then income to kids
Then outright to grandkids

Family Trust

Does not use marital deduction

Uses all three of his exemptions.

Subject to no tax

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