WHAT IS A TESTAMENTARY TRUST?
A Testamentary Trust in simple terms is a trust that is established by a person’s Will (and Testament), as opposed to a trust created during someone’s lifetime, like a family trust, discretionary trust, units etc.
Unlike with a “basic” Will – pursuant to which where beneficiaries receive the benefit of any gift personally – with a Testamentary Trust, the beneficiaries receive the benefit of the gift, but rather than having it legally owned by them personally, a trustee holds the relevant asset in trust for them.
Wills with Testamentary Trusts are recommended by many lawyers, accountants and financial advisers for various reasons but the advantages of Testamentary Trusts include asset protection and taxation advantages.
ASSET PROTECTION POSSIBILITY
Because of the legal ownership differs from the beneficial interest, Testamentary Trusts can offer beneficiaries significant and important advantages such as asset protection. As the trustee of the Testamentary Trust owns the asset (not the primary beneficiary personally), creditors and trustees in bankruptcy of the relevant beneficiary cannot gain access to the asset, so it can remain for the benefit of the intended beneficiary and their family etc.
Often, beneficiaries that are in business for themselves have implemented asset protection measures so as to keep their assets safe from claims by third parties. The last thing that such a beneficiary may want is to receive an inheritance in their personal name, effectively undoing all of their efforts to safeguard their assets!
Testamentary trusts can offer beneficiaries significant taxation advantages and a level of asset protection.
Testamentary Trusts can be drafted so as to have the beneficiary effectively control the trust and for that control to be relinquished on the occurrence of certain events, such as bankruptcy or divorce/marital separation, with a nominated person or persons to act in the role of trustee whilst such incapacity remains.
POTENTIAL TAXATION BENEFITS
Rather than taking a gift in a personal capacity as would usually be the case with a more “simple” Will, with a Will incorporating Testamentary Trusts, beneficiaries may have the ability to split income earned amongst other people in their family such as spouses, children, grandchildren or any other company or trust in which they have an interest.
Where a deceased estate has income producing assets (such as an investment property or a share portfolio), under a more simplistic will, the beneficiary personally receiving that gift would have the income earned from such asset/s added on top of the income they receive from their employment or their own investments. This could mean that they go into the next marginal tax bracket and pay significantly more tax.
A Testamentary Trust allows the income earned in the trust to be split amongst the various family members, many of whom are likely to either not be working (so the tax-free thresholds become available) or earn lower incomes (and are therefore in lower taxation brackets).
Children under 18 years of age that receive income from a Testamentary Trust are taxed at marginal rates as if they are adults (as opposed to the how income from standard discretionary / family trusts, where can be taxed at unearned income penalty tax rates) so for a family with a non-working spouse and several children, significant income can be received by the family whilst very little or no tax may be payable on the testamentary trust income.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information in relation to estate planning, business succession or any other commercial law matter, contact McKillop Legal on (02) 9521 2455 or email help@mckilloplegal.com.au.
