Charitable Lead Trust (A Way to Pass Assets to Heirs)
How a Lead Trust works
1. You contribute cash, securities or other property to a trust.
2. The trust makes fixed annual payments to NRC for a specified term of years.
3. When the trust ends, the remaining principal goes to your heirs.
Benefits
- You qualify for a gift tax deduction for the present value of the annuity payments to the Red Cross.
- The annuity payments and the term of the trust can be specified in such a way so as to reduce or even eliminate the transfer taxes due when the principal reverts to your heirs.
- All appreciation that takes place in the trust goes tax-free to your heirs.
- You can use your available estate tax credit to further reduce taxes on transfers to your heirs.
- You can have the satisfaction of making a significant gift to the Red Cross now that reduces the taxes due on transfers to your heirs later.