Irrevocable trusts are generally set up to minimize estate taxes, access government benefits, and protect assets. This is in contrast to a revocable trust, which allows the grantor to modify the trust, but loses certain benefits such as creditor protection.
The primary disadvantage of an irrevocable trust is that the grantor cannot change the terms or conditions once the trust is established. Consequently, you should be very careful in naming beneficiaries, trustees, and distributions.
You might consider an irrevocable trust if you have specific assets that would benefit from one. Many people set up this type of trust for estate and tax purposes. Since you're rescinding ownership of certain assets – as they're now in the trust – you're no longer liable for estate tax.
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.
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.
Who owns the property in an irrevocable trust? The trustee is the legal owner of the property placed within it. The trustee exercises authority over that property but has a fiduciary duty to act for the good of the beneficiaries.
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.
They can be sold, but these transactions are typically more complicated than traditional home sales. Selling a home in California will take time. Even if you have a motivated buyer, the transaction still might not be completed for several weeks or months after an offer has been accepted.
An irrevocable trust offers your assets the most protection from creditors and lawsuits. Assets in an irrevocable trust aren't considered personal property. This means they're not included when the IRS values your estate to determine if taxes are owed.
Conventional lenders, such as banks and credit unions, are reluctant (or in most cases unable) to offer loans to irrevocable trusts in California. This reluctance is partly due to the complexity, lack of personal guarantee, as well as the hassle to set up this loan.
The only three times you might want to consider creating an irrevocable trust is when you want to (1) minimize estate taxes, (2) become eligible for government programs, or (3) protect your assets from your creditors. If none of these situations applies, you should not have an irrevocable trust.
The property in the irrevocable trust belongs solely to the trust, and the irrevocable trust itself is a separate tax entity for all intents and purposes. This also means the irrevocable trust (or, more specifically, the trustee managing the trust) has to file its own tax return.
Irrevocable trusts cannot be modified, amended or terminated after they are created. This type of trust can remain open indefinitely after the grantor dies and can be taken over by an existing co-trustee or a successor trustee.
Putting a house in an irrevocable trust protects it from creditors who might come calling after your passing – or even before. It's removed from your estate and is no longer subject to credit judgments. Similarly, you can even protect your assets from your family.
California eliminated their asset limit effective 1/1/24. While this means one's home is automatically safe from Medicaid while they are living, the home is not necessarily safe from Medicaid's Estate Recovery Program.
Wait 5 Years: Neither parent applies for Medicaid benefits until 5 years have elapsed. Because there will have been no gifts within 5 years of applying, there is no ineligibility and the property in the trust is protected for the children or other heirs.
Naturally, the biggest downside to an irrevocable trust is the fact that you don't have any control over your assets. With a living, revocable trust (one of the most common trust instruments overall), you technically hand over control of your assets to a trusted third party called the trustee.
A legal concept referred to as the “rule against perpetuities” prevents a trust from remaining active indefinitely. California law requires a trust to terminate within 90 years or no later than 21 years after the death of an individual alive at the time the trust was created.
Rich people frequently place their homes and other financial assets in trusts to reduce taxes and give their wealth to their beneficiaries. They may also do this to protect their property from divorce proceedings and frivolous lawsuits.
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.
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 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.