Kansas Complex Will with Credit Shelter Marital Trust for Large Estates

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.

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.

The "A Trust" is also commonly referred to as the "Marital Trust," "QTIP Trust," or "Marital Deduction Trust." The "B Trust" is also commonly referred to as the "Bypass Trust," "Credit Shelter Trust," or "Family Trust."

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.

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.

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.

Also called an "A" trust, a marital trust goes into effect when the first spouse dies. Assets are moved into the trust upon death and the income that these assets generate go to the surviving spouseunder some arrangements, the surviving spouse can also receive principal payments.

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

QTIP trusts are put to use in estate planning and are especially useful when beneficiaries exist from a previous marriage but the grantor dies before a subsequent spouse does. With a QTIP, estate tax is not assessed at the point of the first spouse's death, but is instead determined after the second spouse has passed.