Selecting the Optimal Term for a QPRTSelecting the Optimal Term for a QPRT

A qualified personal residence trust (QPRT) can be a tax-efficient way of transferring a primary residence or vacation home to the next generation. Designing an effective QPRT involves making many important and complex decisions, but selecting the initial term of the QPRT may be the most critical. The longer the term, the greater the risk the grantor will die during the term, and the QPRT won’t achieve any estate tax savings. If the term is too short, then the QPRT will generate lower estate tax savings than it could have delivered had the term been longer. Here’s one method for calculating the mathematically optimal term of a QPRT. 

Planning Strategy Overview

A QPRT¹ is an irrevocable trust that allows a taxpayer to transfer a personal re...