McDougall v. Commissioner: Navigating the Complexities of QTIP and Gift Tax

Cases, Estate Administration, Estate and Gift Tax, Estate Planning, Tax, Tax Controversy, Tax Court

The recent Tax Court decision in McDougall v. Comm’r, 163 T.C. No. 5 (2024) provides important insights into the intersection of Qualified Terminable Interest Property (QTIP) trusts and the associated gift tax implications. This article delves into the case’s facts, legal issues, court holdings, and practical implications for estate planners and tax professionals. Factual Background…
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Threading the Needle – The Utility and Structural Requirements of ING Trusts

Asset Protection, Business Transactions, Estate and Gift Tax, Estate Planning, Income Tax, State and Local Tax, Tax

Estate planners and tax practitioners have been utilizing incomplete non-grantor trusts, or “ING” trusts, with increased frequency. ING trusts can be utilized for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to, federal income tax planning,[1] asset protection, planning for qualified small business stock benefits, income shifting through distributions to descendants, and others. While this…
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Chief Counsel Advice Memorandum Debunks Tax Avoidance Scheme Using Trust

Chief Counsel Advice, Compliance, Estate Planning, Fiduciaries, Income Tax, Regulatory, Tax

In a recent Chief Counsel Advice Memorandum[1] (“CCM”), the office of the IRS Chief Counsel debunks the income taxation, or lack thereof, found in promotional materials promoting a structure known as a “Non-grantor, irrevocable, complex, discretionary, spendthrift trust”, with a note that the structure may be referred to by several other similar but slightly different…
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