Who is the beneficiary of a discretionary trust?

Asked by: Nakia Murray  |  Last update: December 5, 2025
Score: 5/5 (22 votes)

Discretionary beneficiaries are individuals or entities that a grantor names in a trust, life insurance policy, or retirement plan who will only receive their distributions at a time that has been deemed appropriate, such as if they pass certain milestones in age or education.

Who are the beneficiaries of a discretionary trust?

As such, whilst you may be seeking to benefit one disabled person in the Trust, other people, such as other children, nieces, nephews or family members, friends, even charities would also need to be added to make the Discretionary Trust valid.

Who is the beneficial owner of a discretionary trust?

In the case of a Discretionary Trust, the Trustee has legal control of the funds. Therefore, they are the legal owner. However, the funds are held and distributed to benefit the beneficiaries. The beneficiaries are the beneficial owners.

Who is the primary beneficiary of a discretionary trust?

Each discretionary trust deed employs different terminology, but most deeds will list, either in a definition clause or a schedule, the “primary beneficiaries” of the trust, which may include a particular individual, that individual's spouse, their children and their lineal descendants.

Who owns the money in a discretionary trust?

The Settlor (the person who puts assets into trust) would lose control of their assets at the point they are transferred to a trust; the assets would therefore fall under the control of the trustees who must manage them in accordance with the Trust Deed.

Fixed vs Discretionary Trust, Know the Difference!

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What happens to a discretionary trust on death?

Including a trust can give you control over what happens to your property in the long-term. You can name who you want to inherit the property, whilst allowing someone to live there after your death (but they will not own it). Then, when they die, it will go to the person or people you've named.

Who is the controlling person of a discretionary trust?

Discretionary trust

The trustees have complete control over the assets and the income they generate, deciding how and when to give them to the beneficiaries. ` People may set up this kind of trust for their grandchildren, making the grandchildren's parents trustees.

What are the downsides of a discretionary trust?

  • Beneficiaries left out may feel aggrieved.
  • Loss of control. The trustees can ignore the settlor's wishes.
  • Trusts can be costly to set up and run.
  • As with all trusts a discretionary trust needs to be properly administered.

Who is the ultimate beneficiary of a trust?

Your ultimate beneficiaries may consist of the persons, charities, or other organizations of your choice.

What is the difference between a beneficiary and a discretionary beneficiary?

A trust may be either “discretionary” or “fixed (non-discretionary)”. A beneficiary of a discretionary trust does not have a legal interest in the capital or income of the trust, until the trustee makes a decision to apply income or capital in favour of that beneficiary.

Who has more right, a trustee or the beneficiary?

A trustee typically has the most control in running their trust. They are granted authority by their grantor to oversee and distribute assets according to terms set out in their trust document, while beneficiaries merely reap its benefits without overseeing its operations themselves.

Who is in charge of a discretionary trust?

A Discretionary Trust is a legal arrangement which allows the owner of a life policy (the settlor) to give their policy to a trusted group of people (the trustees), who look after it. At some time in the future they pass it on to some people from a group that the settlor has decided (the beneficiaries).

How to get money out of a discretionary trust?

Beneficiaries of a discretionary trust are not entitled to receive anything as of right. Instead the beneficiaries have the potential to receive money and the right to ask the trustees to exercise their discretion in their favour.

Does a discretionary trust have a beneficial owner?

Beneficial ownership of the trust property lies with the beneficiaries. The trustee can also be any competent person over the age of 18 (individual) who is not bankrupt or under some other legal disability.

Can you change the beneficiaries of a discretionary trust?

When adding or removing a named beneficiary of a discretionary trust, it is important to know the risks associated with amending trust deeds. If the changes are of a fundamental nature, there is a risk that a new trust will be created (a 'resettlement'), potentially triggering duty and other tax consequences.

Can an executor be a beneficiary?

An executor can also be someone you've named as a beneficiary in your will. The role of an executor is a serious one which carries a lot of responsibility. When choosing your executor or executors you need to bear this in mind. It should be someone you trust to carry out this work.

Who is the ultimate beneficial owner of a discretionary trust?

An Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) is any natural person that ultimately owns or controls the customer and/or the natural person on whose behalf a transaction or activity is being conducted.

Can beneficiary take all the money from a trust?

The ability of a beneficiary to withdraw money from a trust depends on the trust's specific terms. Some trusts allow beneficiaries to receive regular distributions or access funds under certain conditions, such as reaching a specific age or achieving a milestone.

What is the biggest mistake parents make when setting up a trust fund?

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.

What happens to a discretionary trust when the beneficiary dies?

While a trust is discretionary, the trust assets are not comprised in any of the beneficiaries' estates for IHT purposes, and so the death of any beneficiary will not lead to an IHT charge on the trust. Many other types of trust have, since March 2006, been treated for IHT as if they are discretionary.

Why would you set up a discretionary trust?

Discretionary trusts are sometimes set up to put assets aside for: a future need, like a grandchild who may need more financial help than other beneficiaries at some point in their life. beneficiaries who are not capable or responsible enough to deal with money themselves.

Who controls a discretionary trust?

An entity controls the discretionary trust if the trustee either acts, or might reasonably be expected to act, in accordance with the directions or wishes of the entity/or the entity's affiliates, or both the entity and its affiliates.

Can you remove a beneficiary from a discretionary trust?

If it is a discretionary trust, you may not have to do much to exclude a beneficiary. The trustee has the discretionary power to exclude beneficiaries from the trust. However, the trustee must act in good faith and for the benefit of the beneficiaries.

Do you pay taxes on a trust inheritance?

Key Takeaways. Funds received from a trust are subject to different taxation rules than funds from ordinary investment accounts. Trust beneficiaries must pay taxes on income and other distributions from a trust. Trust beneficiaries don't have to pay taxes on principal from the trust's assets.

What is the 10 year charge on a discretionary trust?

How is the 10-Year Charge calculated? The calculation of the 10-Year Charge for discretionary trusts, classified as 'relevant property' trusts, requires evaluating the total trust assets against the nil-rate band and applying a 6% tax rate on any excess value.