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The Spousal Lifetime Access Trust, or SLAT, has become one of the most popular estate planning strategies employed by married couples. It is an irrevocable trust created by one spouse (the “grantor”) for the benefit of the other spouse and, usually, other family members. Like many irrevocable trusts, the assets transferred to a SLAT, along with any appreciation generated after the transfer, should be removed from the grantor’s and beneficiary-spouse’s estate for estate tax purposes. One of the unique benefits of a SLAT is that it allows the grantor to retain indirect access to the trust’s assets through distributions to the beneficiary-spouse. SLATs seemingly provide a way for grantors to “have their cake and eat it too,” but there may be unanticipated tax consequences to the grantor if the marriage to the beneficiary-spouse ends in divorce.

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Because the grantor’s spouse is a beneficiary, a SLAT is usually taxed as a so-called “grantor trust” for income tax purposes. This means that the grantor is responsible for paying the SLAT’s income and capital gains taxes, even though the SLAT’s assets have been removed from the grantor’s estate for estate tax purposes. Under current law, the grantor’s payment of the SLAT’s income tax liabilities is in effect an additional tax-free gift to the SLAT each year. These payments allow the assets of the SLAT to grow without being depleted by the payment of income taxes.

To read the full post, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://futurewealthnavigator.com/2023/06/01/beware-of-the-slat-divorce-trap/">Future Wealth Navigator</a>&nbsp;blog.

Beware of the SLAT Divorce Trap

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Beware of the SLAT Divorce Trap

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