When an irrevocable trust disburses funds, the trust takes a taxable deduction for the amount distributed and issues a tax form to the beneficiary. This form, known as a K-1, shows the total disbursement received and includes a breakdown of the amount that is attributed to interest income versus principal balance.
With an irrevocable trust, the transfer of assets is permanent. So once the trust is created and assets are transferred, they generally can't be taken out again. You can still act as the trustee but you'd be limited to withdrawing money only on an as-needed basis to cover necessary expenses.
You can still use the trust to cover some expenses, such as clothing and food. However, you can't pay for these from the principal assets in the trust. You can only use the trust's income, such as profits from stock investments. If you spend into the principal, all assets in the trust are at risk.
A grantor retained interest trust is a trust where a grantor makes an irrevocable transfer of assets but reserves the right to receive income from or enjoyment of those assets for a period of years. When the trust terminates, the assets are passed on to others.
The downside of irrevocable trust is that you can't change it. And you can't act as your own trustee either. Once the trust is set up and the assets are transferred, you no longer have control over them, which can be a huge danger if you aren't confident about the reason you're setting up the trust to begin with.
And so the trustee of a trust, whether it's revocable or irrevocable, can use trust funds to pay for nursing home care for a senior. Now, that doesn't mean that the nursing home itself can access the funds that are held in an irrevocable trust. It's always the responsibility of the trustee to manage those assets.
With the new IRS rule, assets in an irrevocable trust are not part of the owner's taxable estate at their death and are not eligible for the fair market valuation when transferred to an heir. The 2023-2 rule doesn't give an heir the higher cost basis or fair market value of the inherited asset.
Irrevocable trust distributions can vary from being completely tax free to being taxable at the highest marginal tax rates, and in some cases, can be even higher. Therefore, understanding the tax implications is critically important—which is why we focus on irrevocable trusts in the discussion below.
In an irrevocable trust, the trustee holds legal title to the property, bearing the fiduciary responsibility to manage it in the best interest of the beneficiaries.
Selecting the wrong trustee is easily the biggest blunder parents can make when setting up a trust fund. As estate planning attorneys, we've seen first-hand how this critical error undermines so many parents' good intentions.
The other situation in which assets can be transferred out of an irrevocable trust is when you and any other beneficiaries get together, agree that assets need to be transferred out, then petition a court to do so. Depending on the documents of your trust, the trustee might need to be involved, as well.
As a threshold matter, you cannot simply withdraw this money from the trust. It no longer belongs to you. Once assets have been placed in an irrevocable trust, they are out of your (or anybody's) reach until the trust makes its distributions. Instead, you need to plan for this when you establish the trust.
Another key difference: While there is no federal inheritance tax, there is a federal estate tax. The federal estate tax generally applies to assets over $13.61 million in 2024 and $13.99 million in 2025, and the federal estate tax rate ranges from 18% to 40%.
Irrevocable trust comes in handy as it helps protect the assets, acquire benefits from the state and reduce taxes on the estate. Under the California irrevocable trust law, once the transfer starts, all the transaction details become public information and are registered with the county clerk.
The IRS and Irrevocable Trusts
This means that generally, the IRS cannot touch your assets in an irrevocable trust. It's always a good idea to consult with an estate planning attorney to ensure you're making the right decision when setting up your trust, though.
When the grantor of an irrevocable trust dies, the trustee or the person named successor trustee assumes control of the trust. The new trustee distributes the assets placed in the trust according to the bylaws of the trust.
With irrevocable trusts, the capital gains taxes only apply to any capital assets like stocks, real estate jewelry, bonds, collectibles, and jewelry. Thus, putting certain assets into your irrevocable trust could allow them to avoid capital gains taxes altogether.
There are some obvious downsides to an Irrevocable Trust. The main one is the fact that you can't change an Irrevocable Trust once it's finalized.
The assets you place in the Legacy Trust will become exempt from the Medicaid spend down requirements after a 5 year look back period. What is the 5 Year Look-Back? During the five years before applying for Medicaid a person cannot give away assets to become eligible for benefits.
There is no limit to how much you can transfer into the trust. Of course, the trust is irrevocable, so once you have transferred the assets, you can't use them or benefit from those assets, and if you do, they will likely be included in your estate for tax purposes.
Tangible property, such as artwork, sports collectibles, furniture, family heirlooms, and so on. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Insurance policies, like life insurance policies or malpractice insurance policies.
However, the timing of establishing such trusts is crucial due to the 5-year look back rule. Assets transferred into an irrevocable trust within the five-year look back period may still be subject to penalties if Medicaid determines that the transfer was made to qualify for benefits.