Timely Estate Planning Strategies: Part Three

Nov 01, 2021

Charitable Gift Planning Opportunities

In the third installment to our Timely Estate Planning Strategies Series, we outline how traditional income and estate planning may incorporate an individual’s desire to fulfill philanthropic goals. Giving can be done both while living (receiving current income tax deductions) and through one’s will at the time of death (garnering estate tax deductions). However, given the current ‘perfect storm’ we outlined in the first blog of the series, there is no better time to address your giving strategies.

The estate tax exclusion is currently $ 11.7 million per individual which means persons with an estate less than this will NOT benefit from charitable bequests in their wills. The emphasis for these individuals should be obtaining current income tax deductions while fulfilling their charitable intent. Individuals with taxable estates greater than $ 11.7 million can receive a double tax benefit by making lifetime charitable gifts. The donation is deductible for income tax purposes when the gift is made; the property along with any future appreciation is removed from the taxable estate.

Several opportunities to benefit from current charitable gifts are available. It is important to note, total itemized deductions including charitable deductions must exceed the standard deduction to receive a current income tax benefit. Some of your options include:

  1. Bunching contributions into one year to make sure you exceed the standard deduction.
  2. Contributing to Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs). A large contribution to the fund in year one provides the income tax deduction. After which, amounts can be paid from the fund to charities over a designated number of future years.
  3. Donating to Charitable Remainder Trusts. The remainder interest in a given property is donated to charity, obtaining a current income tax deduction, and retaining an annuity (income) interest in the property during the donor’s lifetime. Or the reverse of this,
  4. Giving to Charitable Lead Trusts. This provides a charity an annual distribution while the remainder interest passes to a Trust beneficiary in the future.
  5. Making Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs). Taxpayers over the age of 70 1/2 contribute directly from their IRA to a specified charity. The distribution is not taxable and no charitable deduction is taken. Structured properly, this can convert required minimum distributions into nontaxable withdrawals from the retirement account.

Your WVC advisor would love to meet with you and your estate planning team to see how charitable transactions could help you meet your philanthropic goals in a tax-efficient manner.

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Categories: Estate Planning