EHDH Estate Planning

Why Do People Give to Charities at End of Year?

The landscape for charitable giving has undergone a lot of change in recent years. More changes are likely around the corner. This year, a more intentional approach to year-end giving may be needed, according to the article “How to Make the most of Year-End Charitable Giving” from Wealth Management.

From the continuing pandemic to natural and humanitarian disasters, the need for relief is pressing on many sides. Donors with experience in philanthropy understand charitable giving as part of a tax strategy, part of providing the essential support needed by non-profits to keep operating and respond to emergencies and, at the same time, ensure their charitable dollars are aligned with their family values and missions.

For the tax perspective, changes resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 left many nonprofits harshly impacted by the doubling of the standard deduction, which gave fewer people a financial incentive to donate. The question now is, could the latest round of proposed changes spur greater giving?

Amid all of these changes, sound and stable giving strategies remain the wisest option.

The CARES Act encouraged individual giving during times of hardship, and tax breaks were extended in 2021. However, certain incentives are now closing, such as the ability to deduct up to 100% of adjusted gross income for cash gifts made directly to public charities.

The Build Back Better Agenda proposes increasing the long-term capital gains tax rate for individuals with more than $400,000 of taxable income, and married couples filing jointly with more than $450,000 of taxable income, to 25%, plus a 3% surcharge to income of more than $5 million. This would make charitable giving more attractive from an income tax perspective. However, this bill has yet to be passed.

Consider the following strategies:

Qualified charitable distributions. RMDs must be taken in 2021. For donors taking a standard deduction, a qualified charitable distribution is a possible option. If you are 70½ and over, you can donate up to $100,000 from an IRA. This satisfies the RMD, as long as the gift goes directly to a charity, not to a Donor Advised Fund.

Contributions of appreciated stock. To make charitable gifts in the most tax-efficient way possible, a donation of appreciated stock is a smart move. Donors receive a charitable income tax deduction (subject to AGI limitations) and avoid capital gains tax.

Charitable bequests. The uncertainty around income tax reform includes estate taxes, and pro-active individuals are now reviewing their estate plans with their estate planning attorneys.

Funding a Donor Advised Fund (DAF). A DAF allows donors to contribute assets to a tax-free investment account, from which they can direct gifts to the charities of their choice. The contribution to the fund provides the donor with a charitable income tax deduction in the year it’s made.

Reference: Wealth Management (Oct. 11, 2021) “How to Make the most of Year-End Charitable Giving”

Can a Charity Be a Beneficiary of an Estate?

The interest in charitable giving increased in 2020 for two reasons. One was a dramatic increase in need as a result of the COVID pandemic, reports The Tax Advisor’s article “Charitable income tax deductions for trusts and estates.” The other was more pragmatic from a tax planning perspective. The CARES Act increased the amounts of charitable contributions that may be deducted from taxes by individuals and corporations.

What if a person wishes to make a donation from the assets that are held in trust? Is that still an income tax deduction? It depends.

The rules for donations from trusts are substantially different than those for charitable contribution deductions for individuals and corporations. The IRS code allows an estate or nongrantor trust to make a deduction which, if pursuant to the terms of the governing instrument, is paid for a purpose specified in Section 170(c). For trusts created on or before October 9, 1969, the IRS code expands the scope of the deduction to allow for a deduction of the gross income set aside permanently for charitable purposes.

If the trust or estate allows for payments to be made for charity, then donations from a trust are allowed and may be tax deductions. Otherwise, they cannot be deducted.

If the trust or estate allows distributions for charity, the type of asset contributed and how it was acquired by the trust or estate determines whether a tax deduction for a charitable donation is permitted. Here are some basic rules, but every situation is different and requires the guidance of an experienced estate planning attorney.

Cash donations. A trust or estate making cash donations may deduct to the extent of the lesser of the taxable income for the year or the amount of the contribution.

Noncash assets purchased by the trust/estate: If the trust or estate purchased marketable securities with income, the cost basis of the asset is considered the amount contributed from gross income. The trust or estate cannot avoid recognizing capital gain on a noncash asset that is donated, while also deducting the full value of the asset contributed. The trust or estate’s deduction is limited to the asset’s cost basis.

Noncash assets contributed to the trust/estate: If the trust or estate acquired an asset it wants to donate to charity as part of the funding of the fiduciary arrangement, no charity deduction is permitted. The asset that is part of the trust or estate’s corpus, the principal of the estate, is not gross income.

The order of charitable deductions, compared to distribution deductions, can cause a great deal of complexity in tax planning and reporting. Required distributions to noncharitable beneficiaries must be accounted for first, and the charitable deduction is not taken into account in calculating distributable net income. The recipients of the distributions do not get the benefit of the deduction. The trust or the estate does.

Charitable distributions are considered next, which may offset any remaining taxable income. Last are discretionary distributions to noncharitable beneficiaries, so these beneficiaries may receive the largest benefit from any charitable deduction.

If the trust claims a charitable deduction, it must file form 1041A for the relevant tax year, unless it meets any of the exceptions noted in the instructions in the form.

These are complex estate and tax matters, requiring the guidance of an experienced estate planning attorney for optimal results.

Reference: The Tax Advisor (March 1, 2021) “Charitable income tax deductions for trusts and estates”

Preparing for an Estate Planning Meeting

Preparing to meet with an estate planning attorney for the first time is an opportunity to get organized and think about your wishes for the future. If you meet with your accountant every year to prepare tax returns, this may be a familiar process. It’s a chance to step away from day-to-day activities and focus on your life, as described in a recent article “Preparing for an Estate Planning Consultation: 10 Items to Consider Before Meeting Your Attorney” from The National Law Journal.

Minor Children Need Guardians and Conservators. In most states, families with minor children need a last will to designate one or more guardians to raise the children in the event both parents die. A successor should be named in case the first named guardian is unable or unwilling to serve. Discuss your decision with the people you are naming; don’t leave this as a surprise. Choosing these people is a hard decision. However, don’t let it be a reason to delay creating your estate plan. It’s better that you name a guardian, rather than let the court make that decision.

Agents, Trustees, and Power of Attorney. With a Durable Power of Attorney, your assets can be managed by a named agent, if you become incapacitated. The person who manages your estate after death is the executor. They are named in your last will. If you have trusts, the documents that create the trust also name the trustees. It is possible for one person to act as a fiduciary for all of these roles, although the tasks can be divided.

Living Will and Patient Advocate Designation. If you are incapacitated, a Patient Advocate can make medical decisions on your behalf, including following the instructions of your Living Will.

Personal Property. Any items of personal property, whether their value is sentimental or monetary, should be specified in the will. A list of items and who you want to receive what, may spare your heirs from squabbles over your personal effects, large or small. If you own a business or real estate, they also need to be addressed in your will.

Charitable Donations. If you are charitably minded, your will is one way to make bequests and build a lasting legacy. Charitable donations can also be made to gain tax benefits for heirs.

Beneficiary Distributions. The beneficiary designation is the unsung hero of the estate plan. By managing beneficiary designations while you are living—updating beneficiary designations, assigning beneficiary designations to all accounts possible—you take assets out of your probate estate and smooth the asset distribution process. However, there are some wrinkles to consider.

Minor children may not receive assets until they become of age—18 in most cases. Do you want your children (or nieces or grandchildren) to receive an inheritance, while they are still in their teens? Proper estate planning includes trusts created, so a responsible adult can manage the trust on their behalf. Your trust can also be structured so the money may only be used for college expenses, or when the children reach certain ages.

Surviving Pets. You can plan for your pet’s care, if you pass away or become incapacitated before they die. Most states permit the creation of a pet trust, an enforceable means of providing assets to be used for the care and well-being of your pet.

Your estate planning attorney will be able to provide you with a list of the documents she will need to get started on your estate plan, but these are the major issues that you will be discussing at your first meeting.

Reference: The National Law Journal (Feb. 23, 2021) “Preparing for an Estate Planning Consultation: 10 Items to Consider Before Meeting Your Attorney”

Wealthy Women Face Challenges in Estate and Tax Planning

Election cycles often mean changes to estate and tax planning strategies around estate planning, charitable donations and capital gains, but that’s not the only challenge facing wealthy women now, says a recent article “For Wealthy Women, Tax and Estate Planning is Weak Link” from Think Advisor. Preparing for big changes, from presidential elections to death or divorce, is all too often a surprise, even for accomplished and financially successful women.

Statistically, women do outlive men, so there needs to be a plan for the unexpected. As attitudes shift and more women build their own wealth, they are less likely to stay in unsatisfying marriages. Although the overall rate of divorce in America is declining, the number of “gray” divorces is increasing.

One essential step in planning for high net worth women is to consider what assets they will need to continue their current lifestyles, and what assets would be at risk, in case of death or divorce.

Some assets are not available to singles, like the Spousal Lifetime Access Trust, an irrevocable trust available to couples but not to singles. For those considering divorce who have a SLAT agreement, speak with your estate planning attorney, as the SLAT may include a provision that terminates spousal trust rights upon divorce. Women should not assume that these or other assets will be available to them in case of a divorce.

There are also future costs associated with losing a spouse. If women do not have long-term care insurance, it should be purchased, if she still qualifies. These policies become more expensive as time goes by, so the 40s and 50s are the ideal time to invest in them.

Timing and tax policy changes from a new administration make this a good time to begin planning for any changes that may come in the next year. Women with substantial net worth should be making plans for gifting and trusts now. The gift tax lifetime exemption remains at $11.7 million, but even if there is no legislative action, on January 1, 2026, this will return to $5 million.

Dramatic changes in asset valuation resulting from the pandemic may make this a good time to transfer shares to children and grandchildren, including real estate holdings and closely held family businesses.

The effects of COVID-19 have provided a global lesson in preparing for the unexpected. Among many other issues has been a huge backlog in most surrogate courts. Even families who had an estate plan in place, found their estate planning hampered by waiting for courts to appoint executors.

In many cases, surviving spouses (mostly women) found themselves unable to move an estate plan forward, gain access to assets, even to pay household bills. Families who have been lucky enough to escape the impact of COVID-19 so far, should take the opportunity to plan for the unexpected, including the creation of a revocable trust, so the trustee can swiftly access assets and start managing right away, rather than waiting for courts to clear.

Reference: Think Advisor (Jan. 6, 2021) “For Wealthy Women, Tax and Estate Planning is Weak Link”

Estate Battles Over Personal Property Distribution

Creating and probating a last will and testament is rarely a simple task, but one of the most challenging aspects is the distribution of personal property, warns the article “Be clear about personal property distribution in your will” from The News-Enterprise. The nature of personal property—that it is relatively low in market value but high in sentimental value—is just part of the problem.

You’d be surprised how many families fight over a favorite ceramic dish or an inexpensive oil painting. However, those fights slow down the process of settling the estate and can create unnecessary costs.

The distribution of personal property is usually part of the residual estate, that which is left over when other assets, like a home, bank accounts, etc., have been distributed. Some families don’t even have a chance to select items, and instead find themselves in irrational bidding wars at estate sales.

This issue may be avoided by having precise language in the last will and testament about these items. First, the testator, the person who is creating the will, should outline the specific items they want to be given to specific people. Promised items should be listed and removed from the general pool of personal property.

Next, the testator names who should be included in the distribution of remaining personal property. While some people list the same recipients of the full estate, this is not always the case, particularly if there are no children or if property is being left to charity. One option is to limit the beneficiaries of personal items to only close family members.

Third, provide clear directions for how the remaining items will be distributed. Will beneficiaries take turns in a defined order? Should the property be appraised, and values being divided equally by the executor? Be as specific as possible.

If there are any unclaimed items, provide instructions for those as well. Do you want a collection of expensive cookware to be sent to a charitable organization? Clothing, furniture, and other items should be either donated to charity or sold at an estate sale, with the proceeds distributed between the beneficiaries.

Another way to avoid conflicts over personal property is to give away items, while you are living. Sentimental gifts are a good alternative for holiday gifts, especially for seniors on a fixed budget. This way the items are clearly out of the estate.

A warning for those who are thinking about taking the “sticky note” system: it rarely goes off without a hitch. Attaching stickers to items with the name of the person who you want to receive them is vulnerable to someone else removing the stickers. Similarly, naming one person to distribute all personal items could lead to strife between family members. There’s no legally enforceable way to ensure that they will follow your wishes.

Address the issue of personal property with your estate planning attorney. They will be able to help determine the least acrimonious means of ensuring that the people you want will end up with the things you want.

Reference: The News-Enterprise (Sep. 29, 2020) “Be clear about personal property distribution in your will”

Charitable Giving and Your Estate Plan

Americans are a country of generous people. We give to organizations that we feel connected to, and we give to charities that we feel are important. We also give to honor our loved ones, to make life better in our communities and to help when disaster strikes.

Most people don’t give to charity purely for the tax benefits, but charitable giving has long been a benefit of lowering income taxes during our lifetimes, as well as helping minimize estate taxes when we die, says the article “5 Ways to Incorporate Charitable Giving into Your Estate Plan” from Kiplinger. Therefore, if you are charitably minded, why not achieve the most tax-savings you can? Here are five ways to do this.

Appreciated Stock. Gifts of publicly traded stock that has grown or appreciated in value is a good way to support a charity while you are living. If you sell appreciated stock, you will need to pay capital gains tax on the appreciation. However, if you donate appreciated stock to a charity, you’ll receive a charitable income tax deduction equal to the full market value of the stock at the time of the gift. That avoids capital gains taxes. You get the benefit on the appreciated amount, without having to sell it. The charity can, if it wants, sell the stock without paying any capital gains taxes, because registered nonprofits are tax exempt.

Charitable Rollovers. If you are older than 70 ½, you may donate up to $100,000 per year to charities directly from your IRA. This is known as a Qualified Charitable Rollover, or a QCD. The QCD counts towards any Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) that you need to take from your IRA annually. Under the recently passed SECURE Act, in the future RMDs must be taken by December 31, 2020, after the account owner celebrates their 72^nd birthday. Because RMDs are taxable income, they are taxed at ordinary income rates.

By donating through a QCD, you can support a charity, fulfill your RMD requirement and exclude the amount that you donate from your taxable income. For those who don’t need their RMDs, that’s a win-win situation.

Bequest by Will or Revocable Trust. A more traditional way to support a charity, is to leave an amount in your will or revocable trust. The bequest is language in your will or trust that states the amount you want to leave to the charity, clearly identifying the charity you want to receive the funds, and if you want, stating the purpose that you’d want the charity to use the funds. An important point: make sure that you use the legally accurate name of the charity to avoid any confusion. This is a common error that causes no many problems for charities.

Consider also giving a donation that can be used for a charity’s “general purpose.” This lets the charity decide where to best allocate your donation, rather than tying the money to a specific program. If you chose to list a specific purpose, meet with the development office or the executive director at the charity to ensure that they are able to fulfill that desire. Otherwise, the charity may need to refuse the bequest.

Name a Charity as the Beneficiary of Retirement Accounts. This can be done by naming the charity as a beneficiary on the account documents. Be sure to use the legally correct name of the charity. The charity will be able to withdraw funds from the retirement account without paying taxes. People who receive funds from retirement accounts pay income tax rates on distributions, but charities do not. You may want to donate retirement account funds to charities, and non-taxable assets to heirs.

Charitable Remainder Trusts. This is a way to help the charity and provide for heirs. Your estate planning attorney would create a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) and names the CRT as the beneficiary of an IRA. A CRT is a “split interest trust,” where a person receives annual payments for the CRT for a set period of time. When the person or charitable organization’s interest in the CRT ends, the remaining funds are distributed to the charity of your choosing. There are very strict rules about how CRTs are structured, including the percentages that the charity must receive. An estate planning attorney will be able to create this for you.

Reference: Kiplinger (March 2, 2020) “5 Ways to Incorporate Charitable Giving into Your Estate Plan”

Got an Estate Plan? Here’s How to Make it Better

We plan for life, vacations, college savings and retirement, says Forbes’ recent article, “4 Ways To Improve Your Estate Plan.” Another stage of life that needs planning is the end of life. If you need a reason, here’s a simple one: to protect your family and loved ones.

1. Beneficiary Designations. Many types of accounts go directly to heirs, without going through the probate process. This includes life insurance contracts, 401(k)s, and IRAs. These accounts can be transferred through beneficiary designations. You should update and review these forms and designations every few years, especially after major life events like divorce, marriage or the birth or adoption of children or grandchildren.
2. Life Insurance. A main objective of life insurance is to protect against the loss of income, in the event of an individual’s untimely death. The most important time to have life insurance is while you’re working and supporting a family with your income. Life insurance can provide much needed cash flow and liquidity for estates that might be subject to estate taxes or that have lots of illiquid assets, like family businesses, farms, artwork, or collectibles.
3. Consider a Trust. In some situations, creating a trust to shelter or control assets is a good idea. There are two main types of trusts: revocable and irrevocable. You can fund revocable trusts with assets and still use the assets now, without changing their income tax nature. This can be an effective way to pass on assets outside of probate and allow a trustee to manage assets for their beneficiaries. An irrevocable trust can be a way to provide protection from creditors, separate assets from the annual tax liability of the original owner and even help reduce estate taxes in some situations.
4. Charitable Giving. With charitable giving as part of an estate plan, you can make outright gifts to charities or set up a charitable remainder annuity trust (CRAT) to provide income to a surviving spouse, with the remainder going to the charity.

An estate plan serves many purposes. It includes protecting your family and making sure assets pass to the designated heirs. Your estate planning attorney will also tell you that an estate plan protects you, in the event of incapacity. These are all good reasons to have an estate plan created that is right for you and your family.

Reference: Forbes (November 6, 2019) “4 Ways To Improve Your Estate Plan”

Are We Less Generous, As We Become Less Religious?

Apparently how people feel about faith has a lot to do with how likely they are to make charitable donations. Studies show that people who are extremely religious, regardless of their faith, are more likely to be generous and make donations to charitable organizations. However, as we have become a less religious country, we are giving less.

MarketWatch’s recent article, “Fewer Americans are giving money to charity (and it’s not just because they’re worried about money),” says that the percentage of U.S. adults who donated to charity dropped drastically between 2000 and 2016. That’s according to a recent study from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and Vanguard Charitable.

In 2016, 53% of Americans gave money to charity. That was down from 66% in 2000. That was steady until the Great Recession, when it started to drop off and took a nosedive after 2010. The drop amounts to 20 million fewer households donating to charity in 2000, compared to 2016, which is the most recent year for available data.

A factor driving the decline is that Americans are becoming less likely to attend religious services or identify with a specific religion. Attending services is linked with giving to religious organizations.  However, it’s also correlated with giving to secular groups. Very religious people of any faith are more likely to give to charity, according to a Baylor University study. However, there are fewer very religious people now in the U.S. The percentage of the population who describe themselves as atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular” is now at 26%. That’s an increase from 17% in 2009, according to 2018 and 2019 surveys by the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C. Roughly 65% of Americans describe themselves as Christians, down 12% since 2009.

Religious organizations have traditionally received most of Americans’ charitable dollars, but that has dropped off in recent years. They still received the largest percentage of charitable dollars in 2018, at 29% of total giving, but it was the first year that giving to religion fell under 30% of overall giving, according to the Giving USA annual report on philanthropy.

America’s unsteady recovery from the Great Recession is a factor. Households led by people with less than a high school education, less than $50,000 in income and/or less than $50,000 in wealth (a household’s total assets) significantly decreased the percentage they donated to charity after the recession.

When boomers and Generation X started working, the percent of donations they gave to charity increased. However, millennials are not following that path. They entered the workforce during the worst economy since the Depression of 1929 and are extremely cautious about their resources.

Reference: MarketWatch (October 28, 2019) “Fewer Americans are giving money to charity (and it’s not just because they’re worried about money)”

Using Estate Planning to Prepare for Your Future

It doesn’t matter how much or how little you own, if you have a family, you need an estate plan. It’s a way to document your wishes for what you want to happen, when you die. Some of the big questions that estate planning addresses are outlined in an article from Montrose Press titled “Estate plans can help you answer questions about the future.”

What will happen to my children? As part of your estate planning, you should name a guardian to take care of your children, if you pass away. You can also name a conservator–sometimes called a “guardian of the estate”–to manage the assets that your minor children inherit.

Will there be a battle over my assets? If you fail to put a solid estate plan in place, your assets could be subject to the time-consuming, expensive and public probate process. During probate, your relatives and creditors can get access to your records. They may even challenge your will. However, with proper planning, you can maintain your privacy.

Who will control my finances and my living situation, if I’m incapacitated? You can sign a durable power of attorney. This permits you to name someone to manage your financial affairs, if you’re incapacitated. A medical power of attorney lets the person you choose handle health care decisions for you, if you’re not able to do so yourself.

Will my family feel cheated if I leave significant assets to charities? As part of your estate plan, you have options. You could establish a charitable lead trust. This will provide financial support to your chosen charities for a set period. The remaining assets will then go to your family members. On the other hand, a charitable remainder trust will provide a stream of income for family members for the term of the trust. The remaining assets will then be transferred to one or more charitable organizations.

An experienced estate planning attorney will be able to guide you through these and other questions and create an estate plan that will allow your wishes to be realized. Once that plan is in place, you’ll be able to focus on the future, knowing that you’ve taken care of the ones you love.

Reference: Montrose Press (July 7, 2019) “Estate plans can help you answer questions about the future”

What Did the New Tax Laws Do to Charities?

Americans gave generously in 2018, unless you adjust for inflation. If you do so, total giving declined by 1.7%.

CNBC’s recent article, “Charitable contributions take a hit following tax reform,” reports that 2018 was the first time the effect of the new tax law could be gauged. The law eliminated or significantly reduced the benefits of charitable giving for many would-be donors.

In total, individuals, bequests, foundations and corporations donated roughly $430 billion to U.S. charities in 2018, according to Giving USA. However, while the giving by individuals dropped, contributions from foundations and corporations went up.

Even though the deduction for donations was unchanged in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, individuals still are required to itemize to claim it. That is now a much higher bar, because of the nearly doubled standard deduction.

Under the new tax reform legislation, total itemized deductions must be more than $12,000, which is the new standard deduction. That is an increase from the past $6,350 standard deduction for single people. Married couples need deductions exceeding $24,000, which is an increase from $12,700.

Because of this change, there will be fewer people who itemize their individual tax returns. The result is that many people won’t enjoy the tax benefits of their charitable contributions.

One analysis from the Tax Policy Center showed that the number of itemizers fell from to about 19 million under the new tax law. That’s’ a decrease of more than half, from about 46 million. At the same time, lower tax rates also reduced the marginal benefit of giving, the Tax Policy Center said.

Tax reform probably impacted the middle households that used to itemize the hardest, one tax analyst remarked. As a result, lower-income families reduced giving, a change that could be an issue for non-profits in the long term. The greater the revenue is concentrated in only a few sources, the greater the risk for these charities.

A study from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, an alliance of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute, reveals that modest gifts between $250 and $999 dropped by 4% in 2018, and gifts under $250 decreased by more than 4%. The number of these types of smaller total donors declined. On the positive side, there was a nearly 3% increase in large gifts, defined as $1,000 or more in 2018.

Reference: CNBC (June 18, 2019) “Charitable contributions take a hit following tax reform”