Will Credit Trust

Yes, the surviving spouse may serve as trustee of the credit shelter trust.All of the assets in the credit shelter trust, including any appreciation in value during the surviving spouse's lifetime, pass free of estate tax to the beneficiaries.

A marital trust starts as a revocable living trust. A surviving spouse can be its trustee.

The trust qualifies for the marital deduction. In a QTIP trust, the surviving spouse must receive all income generated by the trust property for life, paid at least annually.After the surviving spouse's death, the property passes to the remainder beneficiaries of the trust, who usually are the children of the couple.

Trust B is irrevocable, the surviving spouse cannot change its terms. When one spouse dies the survivor must hire a lawyer or an accountant to determine how to best divide the couple's assets between the deceased spouse's irrevocable trust and the surviving spouse's revocable trust.

Unlike with a QTIP trust, the surviving spouse typically has complete control over a marital trust, including use of the trust assets and final say on designating who the final beneficiaries are. A QTIP trust offers more control to the grantor but less control to the surviving spouse compared to marital trust.

An estate trust is a type of marital deduction trust requiring that when the surviving spouse dies, all remaining trust principal must go into his/her estate. This means the surviving spouse gets to choose the final beneficiaries, by will or within a living trust.

You can be trustee of your own living trust. If you are married, your spouse can be trustee with you. Most married couples who own assets together, especially those who have been married for some time, are usually co-trustees.

First, in a standard credit shelter trust, there is no step-up in basis at the death of the surviving spouse.Second, the credit shelter trust is a separate taxpayer and requires its own tax return, Form 1041.