Common Trust Fund Questions for Beginners

Are you considering a trust fund? Trust funds are a very useful tool for saving and investing money, but a lot of people aren’t totally sure how to use a trust or even how they work. Trust funds essentially hold assets, like property, a business or money, for the benefit of another person, a group of people or even an organization. There are several common questions regarding trusts, so let’s take a look at some of them.

  • How are trust funds structured – a trust fund is a specially created entity that is held in the state where it was formed. In some states you can create perpetual trust funds, which never end, while other states only allow trusts with a termination date.
  • What are the reasons to use a trust fund – there are many reasons to set up a trust, but one of the best reasons is that they can protect your assets from creditors. Another reason to use a trust is to protect your assets from untrustworthy family members. You can use a trust to save thousands or even millions of dollars from taxes by donating the trust assets to a charity.
  • When is the right time to form a trust – this is a wide-open question because every situation is unique. It depends on your reason for setting up the trust, how much you will be putting into the trust and who will be the beneficiary. It’s best to speak with a professional to determine when the right time is for you.

If you think you are ready to create a trust then come talk with us at GROCO for more ideas and information. One of the biggest factors to consider is how your trust will affect your taxes. We will help you look at all your options and make sure that your trust is set up to be as tax-friendly as possible. Just give us a call at 1-877-CPA-2006, or click here to learn more.

Posted in

Sales Tax Deduction Option, State and Local

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Sales Tax Deduction Option, State and Local The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 extended the election to deduct state and local general sales taxes for 2006. The act was enacted after Schedule A (Form 1040), Itemized Deductions, and its instructions were printed. Because we were not able to include the instructions…

California Unitary Group of Corporations; Intercompany Distributions; Deferred Gain Tracking

California Unitary Group of Corporations; Intercompany Distributions; Deferred Gain Tracking New Form 3726 – Deadline Extended to 10/15/09 Unitary Groups must do more tracking in some cases. The Franchise Tax Board wants to make sure deferred intercompany gains don’t get lost over the years (and therefore, never taxed), so they are forcing taxpayers to provide…

Top Self Employed Tax Questions

Top Self Employed Tax Questions What is Business Turnover? Sales turnover is the total amount of income a business earns before deducting business expenses. Turnover includes receipts of any kind for goods sold or work done such as commission, tips, payments in kind, fees and insurance proceeds. Include sales turnover in your financial accounts at…

2010 Tax Relief Act creates a 100% writeoff for heavy SUVs used entirely for business: HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]OLD RULE: A calendar year taxpayer bought a $50,000 heavy SUV in June of 2010 and used it 100% for business in 2010. It may write off $40,000 of the cost of the vehicle on its 2010 return, as follows: … $25,000 expensing deduction (Sec. 179(b)(6) Limit, see below under “History”), plus … $12,500 of…