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

Provision that covers a business to be protected under a reinsurance treaty. The class either can appear at the beginning of the agreement or may be included in the retention and limits ...

Coverage for the perils of burglary, theft, and robbery. ...

Use of engineering approved fire resistive construction materials exclusively within a structure. ...

Insurance company's reinsurance commissions and expense allowances divided by its adjusted surplus account. The smaller this ratio, the more financially sound the insurance company, since ...

Measure of the sensitivity of the insurance company's liability for the resultant higher expense rates than charged for in the premium. ...

Unfriendly fire not confined to its normal habitat. For example, fire in the fireplace leaps onto the sofa. Property contracts protect against damage from a hostile fire, not from damage ...

Membership organization, based in Chicago, Illinois, consisting principally of property and casualty insurance companies. Its objectives are to influence the public and the legislators on ...

Cost of replacing damaged or destroyed property with comparable new property, minus depreciation and obsolescence. For example, a 10-year-old living room sofa will not be replaced at ...

Health insurance coverage for miscellaneous medical expenses associated with a hospital stay. Benefits provided in individual and group health insurance include ambulance service to and ...

Popular Insurance Questions