Trusts: Choose From Two Ways to Donate
Uncover the Option That Matches Your Goal
What if you could support the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and our work, provide for your heirs and reduce your taxes with one gift? With charitable trusts, you can do all of it. This guide offers helpful information on two popular types of charitable trusts.
There are two types of charitable trusts a charitable remainder trust and a charitable lead trust. Both types of trusts split the assets between a charitable and non-charitable beneficiary. The main difference between a charitable remainder trust and a charitable lead trust is when the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra receives your gift.
Remainder trust: the MSO receives the remainder after your lifetime or a term of years.
Lead trust: the MSO receives the gift first, with the remainder going to individuals you choose.
The following few pages have detailed information on both types of trusts. Keep reading to uncover which type may be right for you.
Receive Income for Life or a Term of Years
With a charitable remainder trust, you receive a stream of income for your lifetime or a set term of up to 20 years. The income may be greater than what the assets currently yield. If you wish, your spouse or another individual can receive an income from the trust after your lifetime. At the end of the trust term, the remaining balance goes to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Use this chart to help you choose from two basic types of charitable remainder trusts.
| Charitable Remainder Unitrust or Annuity Trust: Which Is Best for You? |
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| Gift Plan | Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust | Charitable Remainder Unitrust |
| Payments | You receive fixed income for life or a term of years | You receive variable income (based on the trust’s value each year) for life or a term of years |
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| Features |
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| Funding | Cash or securities, typically $100,000 or more | Cash, securities or other assets, typically $100,000 or more |
Reduce Taxes and Give to Your Heirs
With a charitable lead trust you transfer cash or assets, which are appreciating in value, into a trust with the intention of supporting the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra first, then returning the remaining assets to your family.
The major benefit of creating a lead trust is in transferring assets to family members at very little gift or estate tax costs. You could potentially pay a relatively small gift tax for eventually transferring a large amount of assets to your children. This type of gift provides you with a gift tax deduction, not an income tax deduction. But, if you are looking for an income tax deduction, a grantor charitable lead trust may be a better option for you. In this case, the trust assets are returned to you after the trust term ends. Check with your professional advisor to determine which type of trust is best for you.
Types of Payments
The trustee makes payments from the trust to the selected charity or charities as either a fixed annuity payment or a percentage of the trust.
An annuity payment: With this type of payment, the MSO receives the same amount annually whether trust assets appreciate or depreciate. If the trust income is insufficient, the trustee uses principal to make up the difference.
A unitrust payment: With this option, we receive a variable amount based on a specified percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets, valued annually. You set the percentage upon creating the trust. The payments fluctuate with trust appreciation or depreciation. If the trust income is insufficient, the trustee uses principal to make up the difference.