Update On The IRS Regulations Project
Last July, I wrote in my column that the IRS made it known that it would issue proposed regulations as early as September (2015) which would severely restrict valuation discounts for transfers among related entities (such as transfers of limited partnership or LLC interests to other family members or trusts). Not surprisingly, here we are in the spring of 2016 and there are no regulations.
Early this month, an IRS representative spoke at the ABA Tax Section meeting and spoke about upcoming IRS guidance. She predicted that in the next couple of months the IRS would issue 5 or 6 new regulations, the first of these being the proposed regulations under Section 2704, which would place further restrictions on valuation discounts. While we don’t know what the scope of these new restrictions will be, we are certain that they will have a significant impact on valuing property transferred between related family entities. As I expressed last year, our concern is exacerbated by the fact that the IRS will likely make these rules effective retroactively to the date of the proposed regulations.
The judicious use of valuation discounts has long been a responsible tenant in estate planning. Whether it’s getting the “biggest bang for the buck” out of annual gift tax exclusions, use of your one-time lifetime applicable exclusion amount (currently $5,450,000 in 2016), or reducing actual estate or gift taxes, applying appropriate discounts has always been pertinent to accurately determine the fair market value of the property being transferred.
For instance, if Father owned a piece of property worth $100 and gifted 50% of that property to Daughter, the valuation of the undivided one-half interest might only be $40, as opposed to the mathematical value of $50. In a similar vein, if gifts of limited partnership interest or non-voting LLC membership interests in family enterprises are gifted, appropriate valuation discounts for things like lack of control and lack of marketability are applicable.
If the new regulations change the rules and re-define how property is valued for gift and estate tax purposes, the impact will be huge.
As one of my colleagues recently wrote, “The first (regulation project issued this spring) will be new proposed regulations under Section 2704, with time estimates of ‘very, very shortly’ and ‘this spring, before summer’.” If you have put off any estate planning concerning freezing or gifting, time is of the essence. If you are planning to include the many benefits of family limited partnerships and family limited liability companies, or merely gifts of fractional interests, as illustrated in the example above, you may want to get with your advisor immediately.
For further information regarding this or any other estate planning concern, please visit Hoffman & Associates at www.hoffmanestatelaw.com, call us at 404-255-7400, or send us an email.
