Source: http://rubinontax.floridatax.com/2020/02/
Timestamp: 2020-02-23 16:54:46
Document Index: 610230288

Matched Legal Cases: ['§1016', '§1016', '§ 671', '§ 501', '§ 4947', '§ 170', '§ 4947', '§ 170']

RUBIN ON TAX: February 2020
Life insurance contracts may be sold for many reasons, including among family members as circumstances change, between trusts when it is desired to move a policy out of an irrevocable trust to one that has more desirable terms (although oftentimes that is nontaxable if it is a sale between grantor trusts), or changes in business relationships and coverages.
Previously, the IRS had adopted the position that an owner’s basis in a life insurance policy was the total premiums paid, less the portion of premiums paid attributable to mortality, expense or other insurance coverage (except when the policy was not owned for purposes of insurance protection). This was based on its reading of Code §1016. Thus, persons selling an existing policy could not use a higher basis equal to gross premiums paid in calculating their gain or loss.
Many practitioners disagreed with this interpretation of the law. Happily, the 2017 tax act modified Code §1016(a) to specifically provide that the above basis reduction for mortality, expense, or other reason charges under the insurance contract does not occur. Further, the change was made retroactive to 2009.
There were still some Revenue Rulings in force that were contrary to the new law. So in Rev. Rul. 2020-05, the IRS revised Rev. Rul. 2009-13 and Rev. Rul. 2009-14 so that the examples included in them no longer have a basis reduction.
The old rulings were mooted by the new law, so this ruling is more in the nature of Treasury Dept. housekeeping. Nonetheless, it is a good reminder of the beneficial change enacted in 2017, and may educate some that missed picking up in the revision that occurred in 2017.
Rev. Rul. 2020-05
Posted by Charles (Chuck) Rubin at 9:16 AM No comments:
New “No Rule” Areas
Every year the IRS publishes a list of areas where the IRS will not issue a private letter ruling. Items on the list can provide a warning to taxpayers that the IRS may not agree with the conclusion that would be sought in the ‘no rule’ area.
For 2020, the IRS added to the ‘no rule’ list or the ‘will not ordinarily be issued’ list:
1. Whether any portion of the items of income, deduction, and credit against tax of the trust will be included in computing under § 671 the taxable income, deductions and credits of grantors when distributions of income or corpus are made – (A) at the direction of a committee, with or without the participation of the grantor, and (1) a majority or unanimous agreement of the committee over trust distributions is not required, (2) the committee consists of fewer than two persons other than a grantor and a grantor's spouse; or (3) all of the committee members are not beneficiaries (or guardians of beneficiaries) to whom all or a portion of the income and principal can be distributed at the direction of the committee or (B) at the direction of, or with the consent of, an adverse party or parties, whether named or unnamed under the trust document (unless distributions are at the direction of a committee that is not described in paragraph (A) of this section).
2, Whether a trust which is not exempt from tax under § 501(a) is described in § 4947(a)(2) where a grantor, trustee, executor, administrator, donor, or beneficiary has represented that the trust has no amounts in trust for which a deduction was allowed under § 170, 545(b)(2), 556(b)(2), 642(c), 2055, 2106(a)(2), or 2522, because no grantor, trust, estate, donor, or beneficiary has taken or plans to take any such deduction.
3. Whether a split-interest trust is described in § 4947(a)(2) because it has no amounts in trust for which a deduction was allowed under § 170, 545(b)(2), 642(c), 2055, 2106(a)(2), or 2522.
Rev.Proc. 2020-3
Posted by Charles (Chuck) Rubin at 3:38 PM No comments:
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