King & Wood, P.A.

What are RMD Rules for 2023?

“The SECURE 2.0 Act, which was signed into law in December 2022, changes the RMD rules for retirement savers beginning in 2023.”

After a certain age, retirement account owners are required to take minimum distributions from traditional IRAs and 401(k)s. The SECURE 2.0 Act has changed the rules, reports the article “New RMD Rules for 2023” from U.S. News & World Report.

Before the SECURE 2.0 Act, the age to start RMDs was 72 for retirement accounts, including both traditional IRAs and 401(k)s. Now, the RMD age has increased in two steps. Starting in 2023, the RMD age increases to 73, and in 2033, the RMD age will increase to 75. If you were born between 1951 and 1959, you’ll need to start RMDs after age 73. Born after 1960? You can delay RMDs until after age 75.

There are important deadlines, and while you get extra time to take your first RMD, you must take subsequent RMDs every calendar year.

Here’s the twist: remember, RMDs are taxable. If you take your first RMD in 2023 because you celebrate your 72^nd birthday that year, you’ll have some decisions to make. You can take the RMD by December 31, 2024, or delay it to no later than April 1, 2025. But if you delay it to April 2025, you’ll take two RMDs in one tax year.

If your income from Social Security and other sources is more than you need, those higher ages for RMDs have their advantages. Retirement savings accounts may grow tax-free for a longer period of time. The change may also bring savings in Medicare costs. The price of Medicare premiums is tied to income. When retirees take distributions from pre-tax retirement accounts, it increases their income and their premiums. By waiting on withdrawals, income can be lowered, leading to lower Medicare premiums at that time.

However, the delay in taking distributions may also lead to higher taxes during later stages of retirement. If you don’t take funds early, you may find yourself with higher RMDs later, leading to larger tax bills.

Account owners who don’t take an RMD at the right time usually face harsh penalties. Prior to the SECURE 2.0 Act, the tax penalty was 50% on their required amount not withdrawn. Now the penalty is 25%. If the mistake is corrected quickly, the penalty can even decline to 10%, as long as the person can demonstrate the missed RMD was due to an error and reasonable steps are being taken to resolve the issue.

There are changes to qualified charitable distributions as well. Account owners age 70 ½ and older may now make IRA qualified charitable distributions of up to $100,000 per year without owing income tax on the transaction, which can count as their RMD for the year. The qualified charitable distribution limit is now linked to inflation and may increase in future years. A one-time gift of $50,000 may be made directly to an eligible entity through a charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder unitrust or charitable remainder annuity trust.

Based on the SECURE Act 2.0, Roth 401(k) account owners no longer have to take RMDs at all. This aligns the Roth 401(k) with Roth IRAs, which also do not require any distributions in retirement.

Reference: U.S. News & World Report (Feb. 10, 2023) “New RMD Rules for 2023”

What Is Benefit of a Roth IRA at the Time of Retirement?

“Although the Roth IRA is often touted for the unique combination of benefits it offers to retirement savers, some of its perks often go overlooked. Here are four that you should know about.”

It’s been called the gold medal of retirement accounts, and for good reason. The Roth IRA is an excellent tool for savers who want to make the most of money they’ve already paid taxes on to invest in assets to supercharge their investments, says a recent article from The Motley Fool titled “4 Incredible Benefits of a Roth IRA.”

Here’s how to maximize your use of the Roth IRA:

Gain potentially tax-free income during retirement. This is one of the major attractions of a Roth IRA. As long as your income falls below the limits and you’ve earned income during the year, you may continue to contribute to your account, generating more tax-free growth.

When contributions come directly out of a paycheck or are made by you later, you’ve already paid the taxes on the assets that fund the Roth IRA. The funds grow tax-free, and there’s no taxes on withdrawals.

There are, however, limits to your annual contributions. For 2021, the most you can deposit into a Roth is $6,000 for anyone under age 50 and $7,000 if you are 50 plus. You also can’t contribute more than you’ve earned for the year.

There is no tax or penalty to withdrawing, whenever you want. You don’t want to be careless with your retirement accounts, but the flexibility makes the Roth IRA compelling. Let’s say you contribute $5,000 to your Roth and the market soars. Your investment grows to $7,000. And for whatever reason, you’re a little tight on cash. You can take out the original $5,000, whenever you want, tax free. Withdrawing the earnings in the account would trigger taxes and penalties. But the original $5,000 is yours whenever you need it. One more detail: you can’t put that $5,000 back.

No Required Minimum Distributions. When you are in your 70s, and non-Roth accounts require that you take RMDs, you’ll appreciate this more. RMDs are mandated minimum amounts that must be taken from tax-deferred retirement plans. They are considered income and taxable. Too big a withdrawal could also push you into a higher tax bracket. If you are lucky enough to have multiple sources of income and don’t want to take out the withdrawals, well, too bad. That’s the tax law.

With a Roth, you can leave it in the account as long as you like. As long as you qualify, you’re good to save and let the money grow.

Roth IRAs are Easy to Pass to Heirs. If your estate plan includes leaving a legacy and assets to your beneficiaries, your Roth IRA is a solid choice. With no RMDs, you can let it grow for years or decades, and then leave it to heirs through the use of beneficiary designations.

Speak with your estate planning attorney about how the Roth IRA fits into your overall estate plan and complements the trusts and other tools used to maximize your legacy. If you don’t have an estate plan in place, save your heirs from a legal and financial disaster by making an appointment with an estate planning attorney as soon as possible.

Reference: The Motley Fool (April 24, 2021) “4 Incredible Benefits of a Roth IRA”

 

What Is a SLAT in Estate Planning?

If you have been thinking about making large gifts to take advantage of the current $11,700,000 lifetime federal estate tax exemption, you have probably been contemplating a spousal lifetime access trust, commonly known as a SLAT.”

A SLAT is a type of irrevocable trust that can only be used by married couples for the benefit of a spouse, children, or other beneficiaries. Is a SLAT right for your family? The recent article titled “Should a SLAT Be Part Of Your Estate Planning?” from Forbes examines when a SLAT works, and when it doesn’t.

A SLAT works well while your spouse is alive. They have access to it and the assets it contains, since they are the beneficiary. As of this writing, up to $11,700,000 of assets can be removed from a taxable estate using your federal estate tax exemption, while your spouse continues to have access to the assets.

Sounds like a win-win, doesn’t it? However, there are drawbacks. If your spouse dies, you lose access to the assets. They will pass to the remainder beneficiaries in the trust, typically children, but they can be other beneficiaries of your choice.

If you and your spouse divorce, the spouse is still a beneficiary of the SLAT. Ask your estate planning attorney if this is something they can build into the SLAT but be mindful that if the attorney is representing both spouses for estate planning, there will be ethical considerations that could get tricky.

What about a SLAT for each spouse? If you and your spouse both establish SLATs to benefit each other, you run the risk of the “reciprocal trust doctrine.” The IRS could take the position that the trusts cancel each other out, and rule that the only reason for the SLAT was to remove taxable assets from your estate.

The SLATs need to be different from each other in more than a few ways. Your estate planning attorney will need to develop this with you. A few ways to structure two SLATs:

• Create them at different times. The more time between their creation, the better.
• Consider establishing the trusts in different states.
• Have different trustees.
• Vary the distribution rules for the surviving spouse and the distribution rules upon the death of the second spouse. For instance, one spouse’s trust could hold the assets in lifetime trusts for the children, while the other spouse’s trust could terminate, and assets be distributed to the children when they reach age 40.

The SLAT is an especially useful way to address tax liability. If you have not maxed out lifetime gifts in 2020, now is the time to start this process. December 2025, when the federal estate tax exemption reverts back to $5 million, will be here faster than you think. If the country needs to find revenue quickly, that change may come even sooner. Tax reform that occurs in 2021 is not likely to be retroactive to January 1, 2021, but there are no guarantees.

Reference: Forbes (Feb. 16, 2021) “Should a SLAT Be Part Of Your Estate Planning?”

How Does a Charitable Trust Work?

While direct giving has an immediate impact, some individuals may be considering charitable planning strategies that will have a larger and longer-lasting impact not only on charities, but on their own lives or that of their families.

A charitable trust can provide an alternative to meeting your wishes for charities and your loved ones, while serving to minimize tax liabilities. There are pros and cons to consider, according to a recent article titled “Here’s how to create a charitable trust as part of an estate plan” from CNBC. Many families are considering their tax planning for the next few years, aware that the individual income tax provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will expire after 2025.

Creating a charitable trust may work to achieve wishes for charities, as well as loved ones.

A charitable trust is a set of assets, usually liquid, that a donor signs over to or uses to create a charitable foundation. The assets are then managed by the charity for a specific period of time, with some or all of the interest the assets produce benefitting the charity.

When the period of time ends, the assets, now called the remainder, can go to heirs, or can be donated to the charity (although they are usually returned to heirs).

There are pros and cons to Charitable Remainder Trusts and Charitable Lead Trusts. Your estate planning attorney will determine which one, if any, is appropriate for you and your family.

A charitable trust allows you to give generously to an organization that has meaning to you, while providing an equally generous tax break for you and your heirs. However, to achieve this, the charitable trust must be irrevocable, so you can’t change your mind once it’s set in place.

Charitable trusts provide a way to ensure current or future distributions to you or to your loved ones, depending on your unique circumstances and goals.

A Charitable Remainder Trust, or CRT, provides an income stream either to you or to individuals you select for a set period of time, which is typically your lifetime, your spouse’s lifetime, or the lifetimes of your beneficiaries. The remaining assets are ultimately distributed to one or more charities.

By contrast, the Charitable Lead Trust (CLT) pays income to one or more charities for a set term, and the remaining assets pass to individuals, such as heirs.

For CRTs and CLTs, the annual distribution during the initial term can happen in two ways; a Unitrust (CRUT or CLUT) or an Annuity Trust (CRAT or CLAT).

In a Unitrust, the income distribution for the coming year is calculated at the end of each calendar year and it changes, as the value of the trust increases or decreases.

In an Annuity Trust, the distribution is a fixed annual distribution determined as a percentage of the initial funding value and does not change in future years.

Interest rates are a key element in determining whether to use a CLT or a CRT. Right now, with interest rates at historically low levels, a CRT yields minimal income.

The key benefits to a CRT include income tax deductions, avoidance of capital gains taxation, annual income and a wish to support nonprofit organizations.

Your estate planning attorney and a member of the development team from the charity can work together to ensure that your charitable strategy achieves your goals of supporting the charity and building your legacy.

Reference: CNBC (Dec. 22, 2020) “Here’s how to create a charitable trust as part of an estate plan”

Planned Giving to Minnesota University is Rewarding for Retirees

“Today, the Whitehouses receive income that will continue throughout their lifetime from a Charitable Remainder Unitrust that will also benefit the university and Calvary Church for years to come.”

Neil and Marilyn Whitehouse like to see how Bethel University is making a difference in the world because as donors, they know they are part of Bethel’s story.

As Bethel University News reported, in its article entitled “Former Trustee Stays Connected to Community through Giving,” that the Whitehouses first became involved at Bethel through friendships formed at their church. They’ve been a part of the President’s Circle for more than 30 years, which is the giving level for those who donate more than $1,000 annually to Bethel. Neil said that they see the benefits of their financial gifts.

In the 1980s, Neil was asked by the Bethel president about serving on Bethel’s Board of Regents.

While he was on the board, two of the Whitehouse children attended school there.

Neil set up a Charitable Remainder Unitrust that will benefit Bethel and their church.

“Hearing about the significant impact Bethel is having on the community and students across the country is so encouraging,” says Neil. “It’s exciting to see that Bethel is expanding into areas they haven’t offered in the past. Efforts made on behalf of the students by the faculty and administration have made Bethel the place it is today.”

Neil recommends giving to Bethel because the University community will feel the benefit for years to come.

Reference: Bethel University News (March 17, 2017) “Former Trustee Stays Connected to Community through Giving”