All Topics / Legal & Accounting / Company or Trust or Trust Company?

Viewing 20 posts - 1 through 20 (of 44 total)
  • Profile photo of NahnaNahna
    Member
    @nahna
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 8

    This is what I would ideally like to do.

    I would like to protect my assets (property, shares, etc), be able to work for my company/trust (possibly employ other people to help) and receive an income from the company/trust to live off, and have tax benefits. Can this be done? Am I asking too much? Which one would be better? Or is there another option?

    Can anyone help?

    Profile photo of TerrywTerryw
    Participant
    @terryw
    Join Date: 2001
    Post Count: 16,213

    Yes it can be done. But if you want to protect your assets don’t put them into an entity that is trading or employing people. Set up a new one. Maybe your business company/trust can have its shares owned by your property trust.

    Terryw
    Discover Home Loans
    North Sydney
    [email protected]

    Terryw | Structuring Lawyers Pty Ltd / Loan Structuring Pty Ltd
    http://www.Structuring.com.au
    Email Me

    Lawyer, Mortgage Broker and Tax Advisor (Sydney based but advising Aust wide) http://www.Structuring.com.au

    Profile photo of NahnaNahna
    Member
    @nahna
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 8

    Ok, but say I want to protect my assets now and not branch into the business (employing people) side of things for about 5 years, what should I do now that’s pretty simple to set up? I may not even do the “business” part at all. I want to be able to involve my family, which I thought that setting up a trust would be better, but can you get an income from a trust solely working for that trust? Is that what a trustee does?

    I hope that all makes sense.

    Profile photo of TerrywTerryw
    Participant
    @terryw
    Join Date: 2001
    Post Count: 16,213

    In that case, if you use a trust, all income will be able to be distributed to various beneficiaries each year at the trustee’s discretion. The class of beneficiaries is usually very wide and would include most of your relatives (even those yet to be born).

    So if the trust has income, then there is no need to employ people.

    A trust could employ people – like any business. But then you are up for all the rules and regulations – may need insurance, work agreements, must pay tax, superannuation etc for them.

    It is probably better to just distribute $$$ to them if not running a business.

    Terryw
    Discover Home Loans
    North Sydney
    [email protected]

    Terryw | Structuring Lawyers Pty Ltd / Loan Structuring Pty Ltd
    http://www.Structuring.com.au
    Email Me

    Lawyer, Mortgage Broker and Tax Advisor (Sydney based but advising Aust wide) http://www.Structuring.com.au

    Profile photo of NahnaNahna
    Member
    @nahna
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 8

    Ok, so if I use a trust to invest in assets and protect them, will this provide me with a weekly, fortnightly or monthly income? As far as beneficiaries go, can you have as many or as few as you like? I am presuming that you can add a member (say when they are born), is this correct?

    Profile photo of TerrywTerryw
    Participant
    @terryw
    Join Date: 2001
    Post Count: 16,213

    Trusts are usually worded very vaguely when it comes to beneficiaries such as: “The trustee and any, past, current or future spouse, children, grandchildren, adopted children, step children, blood relative…” etc.

    If you specifically add a named beneficiary, then this may cause a new trust to be formed and that could be treated as a sale or transfer. So you could be up for CGT and stamp duty as if you sold all the trusts assets to another trust.

    Terryw
    Discover Home Loans
    North Sydney
    [email protected]

    Terryw | Structuring Lawyers Pty Ltd / Loan Structuring Pty Ltd
    http://www.Structuring.com.au
    Email Me

    Lawyer, Mortgage Broker and Tax Advisor (Sydney based but advising Aust wide) http://www.Structuring.com.au

    Profile photo of catacata
    Participant
    @cata
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 559

    If you use a discretionary trust the benificaries can be any other entity, including a company or other trust. Also if you distribute funds to a minor(under 18) you will be taxed at 66% from dollar 1(no tax free threshold).
    There ary many personal circumstances that should be considered and I recommend talking to an expert before doing anything.

    Colin Wardle
    CATA Asset Protection
    [email protected]

    Profile photo of GreatPigGreatPig
    Member
    @greatpig
    Join Date: 2004
    Post Count: 284
    Originally posted by Cata:

    if you distribute funds to a minor(under 18) you will be taxed at 66% from dollar 1(no tax free threshold).

    I believe minors can effectively receive up to $772 before they get taxed.

    See:

    http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.asp?doc=/content/20046.htm

    GP

    Profile photo of 100100
    Participant
    @100
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 15

    Hello All,
    This is my first mail as I just joined the site.
    I guess I am in the same situation than Nahna, preparing the fundamentals to start making real money.
    From the e-mails plus other sources I guess the follwoing:
    1-Set up a Family Trust
    2-Do not specified the beneficiaries on it.
    3-Set up a Trustee Company P/L that will administered the assest of the Family Trust.
    4-I guess the shareholders and directors in this Trustee could be me and my partner.
    5-Buy the properties using the Trustee Company P/L
    6-Loan with the bank can be done under my name so I can deduct the intererest (I amnot sure about this)
    7-Income goes into the Trustee and is distributed between the beneficiaries to minimise Tax payments.

    Can anyone help me to see if this broad strategy is achievable?

    Also, I understant that the strategy will be different for each individual as everyone of us have different circumstances however, It would be nice if we can receive some examples to clarify the issue.

    Best regards,

    Eleven

    Profile photo of TerrywTerryw
    Participant
    @terryw
    Join Date: 2001
    Post Count: 16,213

    Eleven

    Make sure you get some advice before doing this yourself. A few comments on your scenario above.

    1. The trustee would need to be in existance before the trust is settled.
    2. Why have two directors? It only creates more risk. It is better to have just one director, and possibly one shareholder (as lenders may ask for guarrantees from all shareholders).
    3. You probably wouldn’t be able to claim the interest on your own income unless you used a hybrid discretionary trust and you borrowed in your own name (to buy the units).

    Terryw
    Discover Home Loans
    North Sydney
    [email protected]

    Terryw | Structuring Lawyers Pty Ltd / Loan Structuring Pty Ltd
    http://www.Structuring.com.au
    Email Me

    Lawyer, Mortgage Broker and Tax Advisor (Sydney based but advising Aust wide) http://www.Structuring.com.au

    Profile photo of catacata
    Participant
    @cata
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 559

    Eleven
    Why a family trust? There are many advantages ofa discretionary trust that are more flexible than a family trust.
    You must specify at lease onn benificary for the trust, but with a good trust deed you can change this at any time quite easily.
    If you use the trustee company to buy the property you may as well buy it in your name. You should buy it in the trust.
    If you want to talk to me about possible structures just e-mail me at [email protected]

    GreatPig
    The $772 is for earned income eg.worked for. Income from an unearned sorce eg. distributions from a trust will be taxed at 66% on tax free.

    You do not need a hybrid trust to claim the intrest, there are some exelent stratagies for this using less complex structures

    Profile photo of coastymikecoastymike
    Participant
    @coastymike
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 125

    Cata,

    In this instance you are technically incorrect. Greatpig is correct. Under Div6AA of Part III of the ITAA “unearned” taxable income of a minor for 2004/05 will be taxed as follows:

    – $0 – $416 taxed as normal (if no other income, then tax is NIL)
    – between $416 and $1,446 greater of (1) 66% of excess over $416 and (2) the difference between tax on the whole of the taxable income and tax on the taxable income other than the unearned txable income.
    – more than $1,445 – 47% on the whole eligible income.

    The rules apply to income, including capital gains, derived by the minor directly or through a trust. Where the minor is a resident, the special rules do not apply if the relevant income is $416 or less. However, the availability of the low income earner’s rebate effectively increases this threshold to $772 if the minor has no other income.

    Profile photo of catacata
    Participant
    @cata
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 559

    I stand corrected
    Sorry

    Profile photo of GreatPigGreatPig
    Member
    @greatpig
    Join Date: 2004
    Post Count: 284

    Cata,

    Originally posted by Cata:

    There are many advantages ofa discretionary trust that are more flexible than a family trust

    What do you mean by “family trust”? Is a discretionary trust not a family trust?

    You do not need a hybrid trust to claim the intrest, there are some exelent stratagies for this using less complex structures

    Can you give a for-instance or two?

    GP

    Profile photo of catacata
    Participant
    @cata
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 559

    GreatPig
    A “family trust” can only distribute funds to family but a discretionary trust can distribute funds to any benificary eg. family, friends, or another entity like a company, trust or super fund. That would be the major difference but it depends on the trust deed and how flexible it is. I like them to be as flexible as you can get, just in cast I need to change anything I can do it quickly.

    As for your second question, you can protect assets that are outside the trust structure and in your own name, so you get the full effect of having the IP in your name. Another benifit is that you can protect existing assets without selling them into the trust.

    Colin Wardle
    Asset Protection Specialist
    CATA Asset Protection

    Profile photo of GreatPigGreatPig
    Member
    @greatpig
    Join Date: 2004
    Post Count: 284

    Colin,

    But if you have the asset in your own name, I think you lose some flexibility. For example, if you’re the high income earner and have the asset in your own name for negative gearing, but later the asset becomes positively geared, then you really want it owned by someone else. I think with a trust it would be easier to get around that issue, and redirect any surplus income to a different low-income earner.

    GP

    Profile photo of zen1zen1
    Member
    @zen1
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 40

    This is the area to confuses me, where you can put an asset in a trust name but still get negative gearing benefits. I just got off the phone with my accountant, she said I can’t put say an IP under a trust and still get a negative gearing benefits. If you lend a money to the trust, the trust need to pay you back the interest to you. That means you are not loosing money on your borrowing since interest payment from the loan = interest that the trust pay to you. And the trust can claim that as an investment cost but it has no other income except rental to offest it to.

    Profile photo of catacata
    Participant
    @cata
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 559

    GreatPig
    Personal circumstances can play a large part ot what structure is best. We are starting to assume to many
    factors which will affect which structure to use.
    I always say “Never assume, it makes an ass ASS out of U and ME”

    Trusts or not depends on personal risk factors.

    Cata

    Profile photo of Lily KLily K
    Member
    @lily-k
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 33

    I would like to reply to CATA:
    Quoted: “A “family trust” can only distribute funds to family but a discretionary trust can distribute funds to any benificary eg. family, friends, or another entity like a company, trust or super fund. That would be the major difference but it depends on the trust deed and how flexible it is. I like them to be as flexible as you can get, just in cast I need to change anything I can do it quickly.”

    The above statement is absolutely incorrect:

    Basic Trust Details
    Name of Trust
    You are free to choose a suitable name for your Discretionary Trust ie XXX Family Trust, ABC Trust etc. The name should be appropriate in terms of reflecting the nature of the Discretionary Trust’s business (if any), its purpose or the identity of the trustee. You should avoid choosing names that suggest an inappropriate connection with or endorsement by persons, organisations or governments with which you are not involved.

    1.3 Trustee: company or individual? … a beneficiary?
    1.3.1 You should give considerable thought to the identity of the trustee of the Discretionary Trust. Generally, a trustee will be an individual or company. In most instances, it is preferable for a company to be trustee of a Trust so that when it conducts business, enters into transactions, incurs debts, etc on behalf of the Trust, it will often have the benefit of limited liability.

    1.3.3 The trustee may be a beneficiary of the trust. However, if the trustee is a beneficiary, then it is important that there be at least one other named beneficiary as well. then,you should name 2 beneficiaries. (It is then up to the trustee to determine which beneficiaries actually benefit from the trust.)

    2. How many and identity of named Beneficiaries?
    The named beneficiaries do not obtain an interest in the assets of the Discretionary Trust nor do they obtain any right to distributions from the Discretionary Trust. The distribution of income or capital by the trustee may be made to any member of the defined set of beneficiaries which includes the named beneficiaries as well as those people set out in the Schedule – which contains a list of other eligible beneficiaries defined by their relationship to the named beneficiaries.

    Including children as beneficiaries

    If a couple and their children are to be listed as the named beneficiaries, in some cases it may be preferable that the children are not named separately. In this case, the words “and any of their children including their future children” could appear after the couple’s names. For instance the named beneficiaries could be listed as “John and Jill Smith and any of their children including their future children”. This means that all of the couple’s children will be deemed named beneficiaries and the trust deed need not be amended if that couple has children in the future. However, you should keep in mind whether children from either person’s former relationships are to be included as named beneficiaries.

    3. Which Jurisdiction Applies?
    When choosing which jurisdiction applies to the Discretionary Trust Deed, your answer will have the effect of an agreement between the Trustee and Settlor defining the laws of which state will apply to the Discretionary Trust Deed. You should choose the state in which the Discretionary Trust Deed is executed. Other relevant considerations may be the location of the Discretionary Trust’s business (if any) or its Trustee. If this question becomes relevant in the future, the parties’ intention will not be determinative of the issue of jurisdiction but it may be relevant.

    I hope the above can clarify and correct some points been explained.

    [email protected]

    Profile photo of catacata
    Participant
    @cata
    Join Date: 2005
    Post Count: 559

    LKGG-88
    The statement I made was not absolutely incorrect.
    Maybe not quite worded correctly so I will explain again.
    Familt Trust- Can list benificaries that are from your family only.
    Discretionary Trust- Can list any person or ANY legal entity as a benificiary.
    This is the major difference but there are some other minor differences.

    Yes you are able to call a discreationary trust a “Family Trust” if you wish but this is different from a family trust.
    As for the rest of your review, it seems to be correct.
    I stand by my statement. The way I read your comments is that you are refering to a discreationary trust as a family trust.This is not correct. Other than that I believe it to be correct.
    CATA

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