ILITs: Wealth Reduction or Replacement Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts

An ILIT, if carefully structured and properly administered, can insulate the death benefits payable under a life insurance policy or policies owned by the subject trust from inclusion in the gross estate of the trust donor/insured.

ILITs are used to achieve wealth reduction-a reduction in the size of the trust donor’s taxable estate for estate tax purposes, and wealth replacement-replacing to the trust donor’s estate, through death benefits received by and through an ILIT, the funds required to pay estate tax liabilities due from the donor/insured’s estate.

This fast-moving hour provides you with a clear and concise summary of how an ILIT must be structured to obtain the desired estate tax sheltered treatment; how best to orchestrate an ILIT ending up holding title to a life policy; how ongoing premium payments necessary to maintain a subject life policy in full force and effect can be implemented without any adverse tax consequences for the insured or for a beneficiary under the trust; and how an ILIT may be structured so that the death benefits under a subject life policy (cash) may ultimately reside with the estate of the trust donor where there are cash needs to be fulfilled, with illiquid estate assets ending up in the ILIT in the wake of the donor/insured’s death.