A Charitable Remainder Trust is a type of Irrevocable Trust that benefits a current beneficiary at the beginning, but at the end of its term, the “remainder” amount passes to charity.
To satisfy the rules set up by Congress, a CRT may take the form of a Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust (CRAT) or a Charitable Remainder UniTrust (CRUT).
In a CRAT, the Grantor donates assets to the CRAT. The CRAT terms require that the Trustee pays to the beneficiary a fixed percentage of the donated asset. This takes the form of an “annuity.” The beneficiary receives a fixed amount over the trust term. At the end of the trust term, the “remainder” passes to charity.
In a CRUT, the Grantor donates assets to the CRUT. The CRUT terms require that the trustee pays to the beneficiary a set percentage of the trust assets valued each year. So, rather than receiving a fixed amount as in the CRAT, the beneficiary can receive more or less money each year.
Here are some questions clients, beneficiaries, and Trustees ask:
No, but in general the tax benefits are maximized by placing low tax basis assets in the trust.
Yes, but low-basis property usually results in a better tax result.
Yes, but these assets might be sold, so the reason for placing this property into a CRT need be well thought out.
If you have any questions about Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts or any other estate planning topics, please contact us to schedule a free consultation. For more than two decades Klenk Law has focused only on Estate Law. We’ve seen it all, and this experience allows us to explain complex estate law and planning techniques clearly and concisely. We make it easy for you to understand CRATs or CRUTs so you can make the best decisions for yourself and your family.
Peter Klenk is the founding member of Klenk Law, a seven attorney boutique estate planning law firm. We serve clients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota and Florida. Peter Klenk received his Masters in Taxation LL.M. from NYU Law School and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School. He served his country in the Navy JAGC during Desert Storm. Easy to talk to, feel free to call Peter for an appointment. We will make the process as easy as possible!
"I worked for Peter Klenk for 4 wonderful years. I can’t speak highly enough of everyone at the firm. Everyone truly cares about their clients and has a strong sense of responsibility to get things done right. I would highly recommend Klenk Law!"
Flora Novick
Mr. Klenk has been easy to work with. I am confident he has given me good advice whenever I have called upon him. He has shown good work ethic and depth of knowledge in preparation of estate, wills, and trusts that I have worked with him on.
Peter Klenk ESQ is a thoughtful and capable attorney who we work with on estate planning issues. His firm recently provided us with new Wills, Power of Attorneys and our instructions regarding major health issues. These documents are important for estate and life planning. Peter and his team are masters in the complexities of Estate Law. We highly recommend Peter and his Associates to provide thoughtful advice and outstanding work on these complex issues of the law. Make sure your estate planning documents are up to date, and Peter can be relied on to do an excellent job. Well done Peter!
Always professional and very responsive. Everyone on the staff that I have worked with. I look forward to continuing our relationship.
You & your staff are the best thank you for everything.
When it came down to picking the right attorney to handle my affairs, I knew right away it was this firm. From speaking to their secretary to speaking to Peter I knew I was making the right decision. After only a few mins Peter knew right away what I was looking for and handled all my questions professionally and even gave me great feedback that put my mind at ease. All that without even giving a single penny! So of course I hired him! So far so good...
Let us put our expertise to work for you.
Free consultation within 24 hours.