Estate planning for individual retirement accounts (IRAs) is difficult and requires an interdisciplinary approach. It requires: (1) general estate planning skills, (2) IRA-specific knowledge regarding postmortem distributions, and (3) a firm understanding of income taxation. A practitioner could specialize in any one of these fields. Moreover, an IRA payable to a trust requires deeper knowledge of all three points.

This course will cover the income tax consequences of an IRA (or any retirement account) payable to a trust. By the end of this course, the practitioner will be better able to do the following:

• Minimize income tax consequences at distribution
• Maximize and preserve postmortem deferral opportunities 
• Integrate IRA planning with asset protection planning
• Plan for beneficiary equalization on an after-tax basis
• Make income tax calculations for litigation and settlement
• Protect fiduciaries from beneficiary claims and income tax liability