Often Overlooked: How Will Heirs Pay the Estate Tax?

We’ve heard or read the stories of wealthy families forced to sell off prized heirlooms so that hefty estate taxes could be paid.  It is never a happy day when an heir needs to sell the family home, wine collection, fine art or collection of vintage automobiles to raise cash for the estate tax. Proper estate planning for wealthy families should include a rather simple solution to this problem: life insurance.

This was recently explained in the Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog in "How Life Insurance Can Be Used To Help With Estate Taxes."

You may consider the creation of an irrevocable trust and make it the beneficiary of a life insurance policy.

When the insurance is paid out, the executor of the estate can use the money to pay any estate taxes owed. It is important that the trust be irrevocable in order for the life insurance proceeds to not be included in the estate and also subject to the estate tax.

For this to work the trust must be created at least three years before you pass away. If not, then it will be considered as part of your estate.

Of course, life insurance is not the only way to provide liquid assets that can be used to pay estate taxes. Before rushing to create an irrevocable trust and buying a life insurance policy, talk to an estate planning attorney about your other options.

For additional information about estate tax planning in Houston, please click here to visit my website.

Reference: Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog (October 15, 2015) "How Life Insurance Can Be Used To Help With Estate Taxes."