Estate Planning Newsletter

• General Rules Regarding Gift Taxes
  A gift tax is a tax on the privilege of making gifts to others while the taxpayer is still living. The gift tax supplements the estate tax, which taxes gifts made upon death. The gift tax was created to frustrate the attempts of those... Read more.
• Reverse Mortgages for Enhancing Retirement
  Many are familiar with the concept of a mortgage, where an individual makes monthly payments to a lender. However, for those who qualify, there is another type of mortgage called a “reverse mortgage” (RM), where the lender... Read more.
• Estate Planning Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule
  The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) became effective on April 14, 2003. HIPAA establishes national standards for the protection of certain health information. The purpose of HIPAA is to ensure that a... Read more.
• Procedure for Removing an Executor or Administrator
  State laws and procedures typically govern the administration of an estate. For this reason, the law varies among jurisdictions. However, in 1969, a “Uniform Probate Code” (Uniform Code) was introduced. Since that time,... Read more.

• Michael Jackson’s Likeness Valued at $4.1 Million in Big Tax Court Win for Estate
• Wealthy may face up to 61% tax rate on inherited wealth under Biden plan
• Surge In Succession Planning
• Elder Care: What estate planning really looks like
• 2021 Retirement Drawdown Strategies For High-Net-Worth Retirees

Special Power of Appointment Adds Flexibility to Your Estate Plan

What is a Power of Appointment?

A power of appointment is the power given by one person to another (referred to as the “holder” of the power of appointment) to designate who is to receive an asset. For example, if Husband creates a trust giving Daughter the power to determine who is to receive the trust principal, Daughter is the holder of the power of appointment. There are essentially two types of powers of appointment:

• A general power of appointment allows the holder to appoint the assets to anyone, including himself, to his estate, or to the creditors of his estate. Property subject to a general power of appointment at the time of death will be included in the holder’s estate.
• A special power of appointment is exercisable only to a group of persons defined in the trust instrument (for example, to the group comprised of the Trustor’s issue) or in favor of someone other than the holder, the holder’s estate, the holder’s creditors, or the creditors of the holder’s estate. Property subject to a special power of appointment is not included in the holder’s estate.

Special Power of Appointment May Add Flexibility to Estate Plan

A special power of appointment may be used to add flexibility to the dispositive provisions of an estate plan without subjecting the property subject to the special power to inclusion in the holder’s estate. For example, Husband and Wife may designate that the surviving spouse will have a special power of appointment over the principal of the exemption trust (also commonly referred to as the credit-shelter or bypass trust), a trust which becomes irrevocable upon the death of the first spouse. The special power of appointment in this scenario would allow the surviving spouse to make a later determination as to who should receive the principal of the exemption trust and make adjustments accordingly.

Special Power of Appointment May Not Be Appropriate in All Circumstances

The decision as to whether a special power of appointment should be used and the drafting of such a provision must be considered carefully, particularly where there are children from a previous marriage. The use of a special power of appointment in such a situation could result in the surviving spouse appointing all of the trust assets to his or her children, excluding the children of the first spouse to die.

The use of a special power of appointment may add flexibility to the dispositive provisions of an estate plan, allowing someone to make adjustments among beneficiaries, to take into consideration the increased need of a particular beneficiary, or other changes in circumstances. However, as illustrated above, the use of a special power of appointment may not be appropriate in all circumstances.

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