The Unparalleled Benefits of Establishing a Trust in South Dakota

When it comes to establishing a trust, choosing the right jurisdiction is crucial. South Dakota has emerged as a top choice for many people due to its unparalleled tax efficiency, asset protection, and flexible laws. By reviewing the many benefits of establishing a trust in South Dakota, you can determine if a South Dakota trust is what is best for your situation.

South Dakota Wealth Preservation Solutions

The tax code is a powerful tool for wealth preservation. By understanding and leveraging the various tax advantages, exemptions, and strategies available within the code, individuals can protect their wealth and ensure its growth for future generations.

Here are some ways people use the tax code as a form of wealth preservation:

Utilizing Tax-Exempt Investment Vehicles: Certain investment vehicles, such as municipal bonds or Roth IRAs, offer tax-exempt or tax-deferred growth, allowing investors to preserve and grow their wealth more efficiently. By investing in these tax-favored assets, individuals can minimize their tax liabilities and maximize their investment returns, ensuring greater wealth preservation over time.

Gifting Strategies: The tax code allows individuals to make annual tax-free gifts up to a certain limit ($15,000 per recipient in 2021) without incurring gift taxes. This strategy can be used to transfer wealth to family members, friends, or loved ones while reducing the size of an individual's taxable estate. Additionally, utilizing the lifetime gift tax exemption (currently $11.7 million per individual in 2021) enables individuals to transfer significant amounts of wealth without incurring federal gift or estate taxes.

Charitable Giving: Charitable giving can provide both philanthropic satisfaction and tax benefits. Donating cash, securities, or other assets to qualified charitable organizations can result in income tax deductions, reduced capital gains tax liability, and lower estate taxes. By incorporating charitable giving into their wealth preservation strategy, individuals can support causes they care about while reducing their tax liabilities.

Family Limited Partnerships (FLPs) and Limited Liability Companies (LLCs): Creating a Family Limited Partnership (FLP) or a Limited Liability Company (LLC) can provide asset protection, centralized management of family assets, and potential tax benefits. By transferring assets to an FLP or LLC, individuals can limit their exposure to creditors and reduce their taxable estate. Furthermore, these entities may allow for valuation discounts on transferred assets, leading to lower gift and estate taxes.

South Dakota is Leading the Way in Tax Efficiency

Establishing a trust in a tax-friendly state can provide numerous tax benefits. South Dakota has many tax advantages that allow trust assets to grow more efficiently and protect beneficiaries from heavy taxation, which is one of the primary reasons people find that establishing a trust in South Dakota is a financially prudent choice.

There are many benefits to establishing a trust in South Dakota, such as:

No State Income Tax: Unlike many states, South Dakota does not impose a state income tax on its residents or on trusts established in the state. This means that any income generated by the assets held in a South Dakota trust, such as rental income, business assets, or even salary, is not subject to state income tax. This can lead to significant tax savings, especially for high-income earners or large trusts with substantial assets.

No Capital Gains Tax: When assets held in a trust appreciate in value and are later sold, the gains from the sale are typically subject to capital gains tax. However, South Dakota does not impose a state capital gains tax, allowing trust beneficiaries to keep more of the profits generated by their investments. This is particularly beneficial for trusts holding real estate, stocks, or other appreciating assets, as the lack of capital gains tax can result in substantial long-term savings.

No Dividend/Interest Tax: Trusts often generate income through dividends paid by stocks or interest earned on bonds, savings accounts, or other interest-bearing assets. In some states, this income is subject to tax. South Dakota, however, does not tax dividends or interest income, allowing trust beneficiaries to keep more of their investment returns and enabling the trust to grow faster over time.

No Intangible Tax: In some states, intangible assets like stocks, bonds, or intellectual property are subject to an intangible tax. South Dakota does not impose an intangible tax, providing another layer of tax efficiency for trusts established in the state. This exemption from intangible tax allows trust assets to grow without the burden of additional taxation, making South Dakota an attractive jurisdiction for trusts holding a variety of asset types.

No State Inheritance or Estate Tax: South Dakota does not levy state inheritance or estate taxes, which can be a significant advantage for beneficiaries of trusts established in the state. In many other states, beneficiaries may be subject to hefty inheritance taxes when they receive assets from a trust, cutting into the overall value of their inheritance. By establishing a trust in South Dakota, you can protect your beneficiaries from these taxes and ensure that more of your hard-earned wealth is preserved for future generations.

Additional Advantages of a South Dakota Trust

South Dakota's tax efficiencies and asset protection provide unparalleled growth opportunities for trust assets. These tax advantages have made South Dakota a go-to state for asset growth. However, not every trust is created equal, and the quality of your estate plan and the skill of your attorney will greatly impact your planning options.

Your attorney can help position your assets and ensure you are aware of additional advantages, such as:

Residency Requirements: Another benefit of establishing a trust in South Dakota is that your trust can be administered and located in the state without the need for you or your loved ones to reside here. This allows many people to enjoy the advantages of South Dakota trust laws without the need to move across state lines.

Lowest Insurance Premium Tax: South Dakota boasts the lowest insurance premium tax of any state in the nation (8 basis points or 8/100ths of 1%). Not only is South Dakota more tax efficient with insurance, but it also arguably has the best insurance laws and legislation.

Superior Asset Protection: South Dakota’s self-settled trust and third-party discretionary trust laws provide superior asset protection.

Key differences between South Dakota and less favorable trust states include:

Discretionary interest in a third-party trust, a limited power of appointment, and remainder interests in trust assets are not considered property interests.

A potent sole remedy charging order law provides a powerful shield protecting assets for businesses and loved ones from divorce, creditors, taxes, nursing homes, and lawsuits far into the future.

While asset protection may sound complicated, it is easy to include in your planning with the help of a qualified estate planning attorney.

No Required Termination: Trusts created in South Dakota can last as long or as short of a time period as you need and desire. The state's favorable dynasty trust laws allow trusts to last forever, ensuring assets are never forced out of a trust to a beneficiary when they are in the middle of a divorce or in a nursing home.

It is essential to build flexibility into your trust through provisions such as having a Trust Protector and including appropriate limited powers of appointment. This flexibility allows for adjustments based on changes in the world and helps ensure your trust functions as intended for generations to come.

Contact Aspen Legacy Planning for Estate Planning Solutions

By offering these unparalleled tax advantages, South Dakota has become an attractive destination for those seeking to maximize their assets' growth potential while minimizing tax liabilities. Assets held in a South Dakota trust are taxed under South Dakota tax law and not subject to other states' high tax rates, allowing for greater wealth preservation and a more secure financial future for trust beneficiaries.

Trusts are not a one-size-fits-all solution and may not be appropriate for every estate plan. To determine what plan best fits your individual goals, schedule a consultation with one of our qualified estate planning attorneys to discuss your specific situation. Call (605) 610-4016 to schedule a no-obligation consultation with our legal team.