Personal-residence Trust

Definition of "Personal-residence trust"

Trust in which a home is transferred directly to the children while the parent (s) remain in the home for a fixed period of time, resulting in a substantially reduced estate tax cost. These trusts have a great flexibility in that the home in trust may be sold during the term of the trust, provided the proceeds from the sale is reinvested in another home within two years of the sale of the home. The primary drawbacks of this trust are that if the parent (s) die before the term of the trust expires, the home is included in the estate of the parent (s), and if the parent (s) outlive the term of the trust and has a desire to remain in the home, the parent (s) must rent that home from the children at its fair market value.
During the term of the trust, the parent (s) has the right to the income from the trust's property as well as the use of that property. As such, income and expenses associated with that property are reported on the income tax return of the parent (s). If the parent (s) is still alive at the time the term of the trust expires, the interest in the home that is transferred to the children is valued as a remainder interest. The tax advantage results from this remainder interest as the remainder interest in the home is valued at a substantially lower value for federal tax purposes than the full market value of the home.

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

Items, equipment, or systems used to increase, improve, or maintain the capabilities of people with disabilities. These devices range from simple, such as penholders or cup holders, to ...

Partial payment of medical service expenses required in group health insurance, in addition to the membership fee. For example, for each visit of a physician a member may be required to pay ...

Payments in a defined benefit plan. Benefits are allocated to the pension plan participants as premiums are received by the insurance company. Since the benefits purchased are paid up, the ...

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

Indemnifies an insured whose property is stolen, damaged, or destroyed by a covered peril. The term property insurance encompasses numerous lines of available insurance. ...

Negligent acts and/or omissions, other than breach of contract, normally independent of moral obligations for which a remedy can be provided in a court of law. For example, a person injured ...

Coverage usually provided under the commercial general liability insurance (CGL); it can also be purchased separately. ...

Policy under which the insurer will pay the actual cash value of the property at the time the property was damaged or destroyed provided the loss falls within the limitations of the policy. ...

Provision of a reinsurance contract that states that the reinsurance company remains liable for its predetermined share of a claim submitted by an insured, even though the primary insurance ...

Popular Insurance Questions