Holistic PlanningHolistic Planning

H. Allan Shore and Seth R. Kaplan, shareholders, Akerman Senterfitt, Miami, Fla.

Whether the primary object of a family's charitable giving is a private foundation, supporting organization, donor advised fund or specific public charity, the family's income tax and estate planning goals may be significantly enhanced by financing the entity through charitable trusts — whether they be CLATs, CLUTs, CRATs or CRUTs (charitable lead annuity trusts, charitable lead unitrusts, charitable remainder annuity trusts or charitable remainder unitrusts).

The charitable trust is not new; its roots back trace to 16th-century England.¹ What is new is integrating it with other family entities through the use of sophisticated financial models — an approach ou...