IRA Beneficiaries
Who should be the beneficiary of my traditional IRA?
Who should be the beneficiary of an IRA? The real answer is very personal for each person, and the answer for you depends on your priorities and your objectives.
Before answering the question, it is important to understand that whoever receives a tradational IRA (not a Roth IRA) will pay income taxes when distributions from the IRA are made. The IRA may is subject to the federal estate tax if the participant’s (account holder’s) taxable estate exceeds the estate tax “applicable exclusion”.
If the IRA is distributed in a lump sum and is subject to the estate tax, the combination of the estate tax and income tax can take 70% of the IRA. If that scenario applies to you, you may wish to consider naming one or more qualified charities as the beneficiary of your IRA.
One significant benefit of an IRA is the ability to cumulate income in a tax-free environment. Although distributions will eventually all be taxed, the investment can compound tax free until the distributions are actually made. Because of that, it would be prudent for a beneficiary of an IRA to take only the distributions required by law, which are called “minimum required distributions”. When the participant in an IRA dies, the beneficiaries can take minimum required distributions, which are calculated to pay out the IRA over the beneficiary’s life expectancy. If one IRA has three beneficiaries, the minimum required distribution is calculated using the oldest beneficiary’s life expectancy. The technique of having a beneficiary take payments over their life expectancy is referred to as a “stretch IRA” because it is stretched over the beneficiary’s life expectancy.
While it may be prudent to use a “stretch IRA” technique, some beneficiaries do not have the self-discipline to receive the IRA in installments when they have the power to take it in a lump sum. If you want to use a “stretch IRA” with impatient or imprudent beneficiaries, it might be appropriate to designate a trust as the IRA beneficiary. It is possible to do that, but to qualify for minimum required distributions, the trust must contain specific provisions in order to be a qualifying trust. If the trust does not qualify, then the income tax on the IRA must be paid within five years of the participant’s death. Similarly, it requires special planning to receive the marital deduction for an IRA that pays out installments to a surviving spouse.
It may be appropriate to designate your revocable trust as the beneficiary of an IRA if your beneficiaries are minors and you are not particularly concerned about implementing a stretch IRA.
Summary:
1. If you are married and you want your spouse to have the IRA without restrictions, consider naming your spouse as the sole IRA beneficiary.
2. If you are married and you want your spouse to have the income or minimum required distribution (whichever is greater) from the IRA, then the beneficiary might be a QTIP (marital-deduction) trust that is coordinated with the IRS’ requirements to qualify for the marital deduction when an IRA is involved.
3. If you are unmarried or you do not want your spouse to be the beneficiary:
A. If you want a “stretch” IRA and the intended beneficiaries are disciplined to take out only the minimum required distributions over their lifetime and have no significant risks for claims by creditors (including ex-spouses), then consider designating the intended beneficiaries by name.
B. If you want a “stretch” IRA but the beneficiaries might be tempted to take early withdrawals or may be vulnerable to creditors’ claims, then consider naming as the IRA beneficiary a trust that is established as a qualified beneficiary that will provide for the trustee to take the minimum required distributions each year and distribute them in accordance with your wishes.
C. If a “stretch” IRA is not important to you, then it is probably best to name your revocable trust as the beneficiary of your IRA. The trust should contain alternative beneficiary designations and options that a normal beneficiary designation for an IRA would not contain.
4. Do not make a final decision without consulting with your accountant and/or tax attorney.