2020 California Code
Probate Code - PROB
DIVISION 9 - TRUST LAW
PART 9 - Uniform Trust Decanting Act
Section 19519.

(a) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Grantor trust” means a trust as to which a settlor of a first trust is considered the owner under Sections 671 to 677, inclusive, or Section 679 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Secs. 671 to 677, 679).

(2) “Nongrantor trust” means a trust that is not a grantor trust.

(3) “Qualified benefits property” means property subject to the minimum distribution requirements of Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 401(a)(9)), and any applicable regulations, or to any similar requirements that refer to Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 401(a)(9)) or the regulations.

(b) An exercise of the decanting power is subject to all of the following limitations:

(1) If a first trust contains property that qualified, or would have qualified but for provisions of this part other than this section, for a marital deduction for purposes of the gift or estate tax under the Internal Revenue Code or a state gift, estate, or inheritance tax, the second trust instrument shall not include or omit any term that, if included in or omitted from the trust instrument for the trust to which the property was transferred, would have prevented the transfer from qualifying for the deduction, or would have reduced the amount of the deduction, under the same provisions of the Internal Revenue Code or state law under which the transfer qualified.

(2) If the first trust contains property that qualified, or would have qualified but for provisions of this part other than this section, for a charitable deduction for purposes of the income, gift, or estate tax under the Internal Revenue Code or a state income, gift, estate, or inheritance tax, the second trust instrument shall not include or omit any term that, if included in or omitted from the trust instrument for the trust to which the property was transferred, would have prevented the transfer from qualifying for the deduction, or would have reduced the amount of the deduction, under the same provisions of the Internal Revenue Code or state law under which the transfer qualified.

(3) If the first trust contains property that qualified, or would have qualified but for provisions of this part other than this section, for the exclusion from the gift tax described in Section 2503(b) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 2503(b)), the second trust instrument shall not include or omit a term that, if included in or omitted from the trust instrument for the trust to which the property was transferred, would have prevented the transfer from qualifying under Section 2503(b) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 2503(b)). If the first trust contains property that qualified, or would have qualified but for provisions of this part other than this section, for the exclusion from the gift tax described in Section 2503(b) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 2503(b)) by application of Section 2503(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 2503(c)), the second trust instrument shall not include or omit a term that, if included or omitted from the trust instrument for the trust to which the property was transferred, would have prevented the transfer from qualifying under Section 2503(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 2503(c)).

(4) If the property of the first trust includes shares of stock in an S-corporation, as defined in Section 1361 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 1361) and the first trust is, or but for provisions of this part other than this section would be, a permitted shareholder under any provision of Section 1361 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 1361), an authorized fiduciary may exercise the power with respect to part or all of the S-corporation stock only if any second trust receiving the stock is a permitted shareholder under Section 1361(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 1361(c)(2)). If the property of the first trust includes shares of stock in an S-corporation and the first trust is, or but for provisions of this part other than this section would be, a qualified subchapter-S trust within the meaning of Section 1361(d) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 1361(d)), the second trust instrument shall not include or omit a term that prevents the second trust from qualifying as a qualified subchapter-S trust.

(5) If the first trust contains property that qualified, or would have qualified but for provisions of this part other than this section, for a zero inclusion ratio for purposes of the generation-skipping transfer tax under Section 2642(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 2642(c)), the second trust instrument shall not include or omit a term that, if included in or omitted from the first trust instrument, would have prevented the transfer to the first trust from qualifying for a zero inclusion ratio under Section 2642(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 2642(c)).

(6) If the first trust is directly or indirectly the beneficiary of qualified benefits property, the second trust instrument may not include or omit any term that, if included in or omitted from the first trust instrument, would have increased the minimum distributions required with respect to the qualified benefits property under Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 401(a)(9)) and any applicable regulations, or any similar requirements that refer to Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 401(a)(9)) or the regulations. If an attempted exercise of the decanting power violates the preceding sentence, the trustee is deemed to have held the qualified benefits property and any reinvested distributions of the property as a separate share from the date of the exercise of the power and Section 19522 applies to the separate share.

(7) If the first trust qualifies as a grantor trust because of the application of Section 672(f)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 672(f)(2)(A)), the second trust may not include or omit a term that, if included in or omitted from the first trust instrument, would have prevented the first trust from qualifying under Section 672(f)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 672(f)(2)(A)).

(8) In this paragraph, “tax benefit” means a federal or state tax deduction, exemption, exclusion, or other benefit not otherwise listed in this section, except for a benefit arising from being a grantor trust. Subject to paragraph (9), a second trust instrument may not include or omit a term that, if included in or omitted from the first trust instrument, would have prevented qualification for a tax benefit if both of the following apply:

(A) The first trust instrument expressly indicates an intent to qualify for the benefit or the first trust instrument clearly is designed to enable the first trust to qualify for the benefit.

(B) The transfer of property held by the first trust or the first trust qualified, or, but for provisions of this part other than this section, would have qualified for the tax benefit.

(9) (A) Subject to paragraph (4), and except as otherwise provided in paragraph (7), the second trust may be a nongrantor trust, even if the first trust is a grantor trust.

(B) Subject to paragraph (4), and except as otherwise provided in paragraph (10), the second trust may be a grantor trust, even if the first trust is a nongrantor trust.

(10) An authorized fiduciary may not exercise the decanting power if a settlor objects in a signed writing delivered to the fiduciary within the notice period and either of the following conditions is satisfied:

(A) The first trust and a second trust are both grantor trusts, in whole or in part, the first trust grants the settlor or another person the power to cause the first trust to cease to be a grantor trust, and the second trust does not grant an equivalent power to the settlor or other person.

(B) The first trust is a nongrantor trust and a second trust is a grantor trust, in whole or in part, with respect to the settlor, unless either of the following apply:

(i) The settlor has the power at all times to cause the second trust to cease to be a grantor trust.

(ii) The first trust instrument contains a provision granting the settlor or another person a power that would cause the first trust to cease to be a grantor trust and the second trust instrument contains the same provision.

(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 407, Sec. 1. (SB 909) Effective January 1, 2019.)