Disclaimers — State Law Considerations presents a detailed study of the state law ramifications of disclaimers. This Portfolio, written by Christopher P. Cline, Esq., Holland & Knight LLP, describes the many non-tax uses of disclaimers, including potential creditor avoidance and the correction of otherwise costly errors made in the drafting of wills and trusts and covers:
A disclaimer is the refusal to accept a gratuitous transfer. If the rules are complied with, a disclaimant has not made a “transfer.” The disclaimant must follow the relevant state statute and case law requirements in order to ensure that he or she achieves the desired results. This portfolio discusses the applicable state law, indicates the areas of uncertainty, and warns of traps for the unwary in the non-tax law of disclaimer.
Disclaimers — State Law Considerations allows you to benefit from:
This Portfolio is part of the Estates, Gifts and Trusts Portfolios Library, a comprehensive series containing more than 80 Portfolios, which covers critical transactions in estate, gifts and trusts planning. This highly-regarded resource library offers commentary on a wide range of estate planning topics including: Generation Skipping Tax, Family Limited Partnerships, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Estate Planning for Closely-Held Businesses, Exempt Organizations and Private Foundations, Life Insurance, Valuation, and more.
Detailed Analysis
I. General
A. Introduction
B. Relation-Back Concept
C. The Governing Law
D. Overview of Federal Transfer Taxes
1. Gift and Estate Taxes
2. Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax
E. Overview of Qualified Disclaimer
II. Disclaimer with Respect to Pre-1977 Transfers
A. Early Disclaimer Law
B. Law of Disclaimers of Pre-1977 Transfers
C. Case Law: Determining a “Reasonable Time”
1. The Keinath Case
2. The Jewett Case
3. Irvine and Ordway
D. The Time Period: What Is a Reasonable Time?
III. The Qualified Disclaimer - 2518: Disclaimer with Respect to Post-1976 Transfers
A. Generally
B. Requirements for a Disclaimer: The Five Tests
1. Writing Test
2. Nine-Month Test
a. Receipt, Recipient, and Delivery
b. The Period: Nine Months
c. Transfer Creating the Interest
(1) Lifetime Transfers
(2) Revocable Transfers
(3) Powers of Appointment - General and Limited
(4) One Transfer, Two Taxable Events
(5) Qualified Terminable Interest Property and Qualified Domestic Trust
(6) Successive Disclaimers
(7) Joint Property
(a) Property Other Than Bank and Investment Accounts
(b) Bank, Brokerage, and Investment Accounts
(8) Community Property
(9) The Period: The Age 21 Stretch Out
(10) Possible Limitation on the Age 21 Stretch Out for Marital and Charitable Deduction Purposes
3. No Benefits (or No Acceptance) Test
a. Findings of No Acceptance
b. Findings of Acceptance
c. Acceptance of Powers of Appointment
4. The Passage Test
a. No Direction; No Interest
b. Surviving Spouse as Disclaimant
5. State Law Validity Test
C. Disclaimers of Less than an Entire Interest: “Undivided Portion,” “Separate Interest,” and “Severable Property”
1. Disclaiming Some Trust Interest But Not Others
2. Severable Property
3. Partial Interests
D. Fiduciary as Disclaimant
1. Disclaimant as Fiduciary of Disclaimed Interest
2. Fiduciary as Beneficiary of Disclaimer
3. Authority of Fiduciary to Disclaim
4. Disclaiming of Fiduciary Power
E. Failure to Assert Right as Disclaimer?
IV. Uses of Disclaimer
A. Generally - Changing the Dispositive Plan
1. Altruism
2. To Rewrite Will or Rearrange Disposition of Nonprobate Assets
3. Control of Family Business
B. Fixing the Marital Deduction
1. Eligibility for Marital Deduction of Spouse's Interest in Charitable Remainder Trust
2. Ineligibility for the Marital Deduction of Gift to Noncitizen Spouse
C. Credit Shelter Drafting and Repairs
1. Credit Shelter Drafting with Disclaimers
a. Fractional Formula with “Pick and Choose” Funding
b. Disclaimer Shelter Trust
c. Partial QTIP Election
d. Clayton QTIP Trust
e. Comparing Funding Methods
2. Credit Shelter Repairs
D. Formula Disclaimers
E. Intentionally Creating an Estate Tax (or Using Unified Credit)
F. Using the Previously Taxed Property Credit
1. Planning with the Previously Taxed Property Credit
2. Using Disclaimers to Create a Previously Taxed Property Credit
G. Disclaimers with Retirement Plans and IRAs
H. Disclaiming to Apply Alternate Valuation
I. Disclaimers to Private Foundations
J. To Increase or Save the Charitable Deduction
K. For Special Use Valuation Purposes
L. For Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Planning
1. Grandfathered Transfers
2. The GST Exemption
3. Other Uses
M. Income Tax Purposes
1. Generally
2. Tax-Favored Corporate Redemptions
3. S Corporations
4. Basis
N. Drafting in Anticipation of Disclaimer
V. Errors in Drafting and Use of Disclaimers, or in Failing to Use Disclaimers
Introductory Material
A. The Untimely Disclaimer and Short-Sighted Acceptance
B. The Boomerang and Wrong-Way Disclaimers
C. The Wrong Disclaimant
D. The Disclaimer That Never Was
VI. Conclusion
Working Papers
Table of Worksheets
Worksheet 1 Legislative History of 1976 Enactment of 2518 Tax Reform Act of 1976 (P.L. 94-455)
Worksheet 2 Legislative History of 1978 Amendment of 2518 Revenue Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-600)
Worksheet 3 Legislative History of 1981 Amendment of 2518 Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (P.L. 97-34)
Worksheet 4 Standby or Fallback Disclaimer Trust
Worksheet 5 Authorization for Fiduciary Disclaimers
Worksheet 6 Tax Apportionment Clause
Worksheet 7 Disclaimer Flow Charts for Joint Property
Bibliography
OFFICIAL
Statutes:
Treasury Rulings:
Cases:
UNOFFICIAL
Treatises:
Periodicals:
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006