An entrepreneur uses a CRT and ESOP to transfer his business to employees, give to charity, and retain a lifetime income stream.

Pledge agreements form a fundamental building block for charitable institutions, regardless of whether you're in capital campaigns or just carrying on good fundraising work. Usually, they are used to provide gift agreements for structured outright gifts, but with a little imagination the same purpose can be achieved using short‐term deferred gifts. The secret ingredient is clarity. Think through whether you want to make a pledge irrevocable or revocable, and, once that is decided, word your agreements carefully so that no one is surprised by the implementation. This article reflects on how good work on the front end will give the donor and the institution years of satisfaction.

In Rev. Rul. 2025-8, the Service announced the Section 7520 rate for April will fall to 5.0%. The average rate for 2024 was 5.03%, while the average for 2025 is 5.25%.

By transferring highly appreciated stock to a QDOT-CRT, a taxpayer is able to provide for his non-U.S. citizen spouse, avoid gift taxes, minimize capital gain and income taxes, diversify his portfolio, and give to charity.