What to beware of with QTIP trusts {PFP Section}

Qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trusts were created so that spouses could receive the benefit of the marital deduction while also setting aside resources for a surviving spouse and retaining control over what happens to the funds when the surviving spouse passes away. In this episode of the PFP Section podcast, Bob Keebler, CPA/PFS, and Paul Hood, JD, LLM, discuss the nuances of QTIPs, including:

• The confusion is caused by the separate Internal Revenue Code provisions on the estate and gift side. On the estate side, the rules are lax. And, on the gift side, they are rigid.
• How can a buy/sell agreement interfere with the efficacy of a QTIP trust and what to watch out for to make sure this doesn’t happen.
• What do QTIP limits like fiduciary income to the surviving spouse mean from a family harmony, efficient trust and estate administration, and a fiduciary income accounting perspective.
• What’s the bottom line as CPAs prepare gift tax returns that involve QTIPs in 2024.

For more resources related to this episode:

• Send your relevant clients this Broadridge Alert to educate them on QTIP trusts.
• Use the Adviser’s Guide to Financial & Estate Planning volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4 as a reference for planning with QTIP trusts and much more.
• Get the basics of estate planning with our certificate program. This is one of 5 certificates that leads to attaining the PFS credential when experience and other requirements are met.
• Access Bob’s decisions charts in the Proactive Planning Toolkit. 

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA’s Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

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