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Sale and Unitrust

Fresno State student planting new plants during Alternative Spring Break offered through the Richter Center

Are your appreciated assets, such as stock, bonds or real estate, producing little or no income?

If you sell your appreciated assets, you will pay a large capital gains tax. A sale and charitable remainder unitrust may be the solution to avoid capital gains tax.

Flowchart: Donor transfers an undivided portion of property to a unitrust. When property is sold, the donor and the unitrust receive cash from the sale. The donor receives payouts from the unitrust and the Fresno State receives the remainder at the end of the trust term.

Benefits of a sale and unitrust

  • Receive cash from the sale. You can use this cash to purchase another residence, to save for retirement, to travel, to meet your daily needs or to meet some other financial goal
  • Receive income from the unitrust for the rest of your life and future retirement
  • Obtain an income tax deduction that may reduce your tax bill this year
  • Further the work of Fresno State with your gift

How a sale and unitrust works

  1. You establish a charitable remainder unitrust and transfer a portion of your assets to the trust.
  2. The assets are then sold. You receive cash from the sale, and the rest of the sale's proceeds are paid to the charitable unitrust.
  3. The trust will provide you with income for the rest of your life.
  4. You receive a charitable deduction this year to offset your tax on the cash proceeds that you receive from the sale.

More on sale and unitrust

When transferring a portion of your primary residence to fund a unitrust, you may apply your one-time home exclusion to reduce or eliminate capital gains tax that would otherwise be due from the sale. Your tax advisor can assist you to determine if you should utilize this strategy.

Seek Advice

Planning your estate can sometimes get complicated. Even simple estate plans can have severe tax and other legal consequences. As you review these pages, please remember that there are always exceptions to every rule. We encourage you to seek guidance from a qualified licensed professional such as an attorney or certified public accountant to be certain that your desires are fulfilled without any unwelcome surprises.

How Can Fresno State's Planned Giving Office Be of Assistance?

We are charitable planning specialists and have resources available to support both your investigation and your implementation of gift planning techniques. Our services are professional, confidential and collaborative. They are provided without cost or obligation. We encourage you to call on us to assist you, your family and your advisors in exploring financial, estate and charitable planning.

For more information, please contact:
Becky Brown, CSPG
Director of Development
5241 N Maple Ave, M/S TA45
Fresno, CA 93740-8023
559.278.1877
[email protected]

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