Grantor-retained Income Trust (grit)

Definition of "Grantor-retained income trust (grit)"

Irrevocable trust into which the grantor places assets and retains the income from or the use of these assets for a stipulated period of time. At the termination of this time period, the principal (assets) of the trust is transferred to the grantor's non charitable beneficiary. The non charitable beneficiary may include individual (s) such as a grandchild, niece, nephew, son, or daughter. Should the grantor survive the stipulated period of time, he or she will incur substantial savings in estate and gift taxes. In order for these savings in taxes to occur, the following requirements must be met by the grantor:

  1. income to the grantor must be the sole result of the income generated by assets held in the trust.
  2. any income generated by the assets held in the trust can be paid only to the grantor of the trust.
  3. neither the grantor nor the spouse of the grantor can act as a trustee of the trust.
  4. any income retained by the grantor must be for a period of time not to exceed 10 years.
Should the grantor die before the stipulated period of time the trust expires, the value of the assets of the trust are included in the grantor's estate for FEDERAL ESTATE TAX purposes, even though the assets are not physically transferred to the estate of the grantor.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Insurance Terms

Case where an insurance company is placed by the state court under the control of the state insurance department. Claims are paid in the order filed until the insurance company's ability to ...

Program of health care designed for the prevention and/or reduction of illnesses by providing such services as regular physical examinations. This care is in opposition to curative care, ...

Same as term Bankers Blanket Bond: coverage for a bank in the event of loss due to dishonest acts of its employees or individuals external to the bank. For example, if a teller goes to ...

Time at which life insurance death proceeds or endowments are paid, either at the death of an insured or at the end of the endowment period. ...

Frequency of illness, sickness, and diseases contracted. ...

Early payout of anticipated death benefits from a rider attached to an existing policy or from a separate policy. The purpose is to allow the terminally ill insured an additional source of ...

Life insurance policy clause. If at the end of the grace period the premium due has not been paid, a policy loan will automatically be made from the policy's cash value to pay the premium. ...

Percentage of income required by a retiree to maintain a desired standard of living during the retirement years. ...

Maximum amount that an insurance company will pay under a liability insurance policy for claims resulting from a particular accident. This maximum amount applies regardless of the amount of ...

Popular Insurance Questions