Charitable Gift Planning

Although tax savings are usually not the primary motivation for charitable giving, proper planning can create significant tax benefits. Whether the plan is fairly simple, as is the case for outright contributions, or more complex, such as for the creation of a charitable remainder trust, we can assist you in your planning.

As a potential donor, you have many choices regarding the type of gift and when it is to be made. For example, the tax benefits of contributing appreciated closely held stock may be eliminated if the timing of the transfer is delayed until certain events have occurred.

Lifetime outright charitable gifts can produce a double tax benefit. In addition to the income tax deduction available when the gift is made, the donated property, along with any future income and appreciation, is removed from your estate upon your death. The cost of the lifetime gift is giving up control of the property and all future income while you are alive. As such, your financial reliance on that asset and its income may determine whether you should contribute the property during your life or at death.

You may be interested in a future transfer of appreciated property to charity, but you would like to retain the income from the property while you are alive. We can advise you on the benefits of creating a charitable remainder trust, which can potentially satisfy your cash flow needs as well as your objectives for charitable giving.

If retirement plan benefits are a significant portion of your future estate, planning for their distribution is very important since the combined income and estate taxes on these assets may consume most of the plan balance. If you intend to leave some or all of your assets to charity, you can minimize income and estate taxes by naming the charitable organization as the beneficiary of your retirement plan. However, if you leave more than half of the plan balance to an individual (in addition to a charitable organization), special planning is required.

Private foundations, donor-advised funds, supporting organizations, conduit foundations, and pooled common funds are some of the other charitable giving options that you may want to consider.

Charitable giving goals, your cash flow needs, the potential beneficiaries (both charities and non-charities), and any special circumstances you or your family might have are essential to designing a tax-efficient charitable giving plan. Our professionals can help you understand and weigh these alternatives to ensure that your gifts are as tax-efficient as possible while meeting your charitable goals.