MAY 2023
Khaas Baat : A Publication for Indian Americans in Florida

BUSINESS/FINANCE

529 Plan and Recent Changes

By TEJAL DHRUVE

Savings or paying for college can be expensive. Tax-advantaged 529 plans can blunt the cost. Thanks to various legislative changes in recent years, you have more options for 529 funds.

Contributions to 529 plans are treated as gifts to the beneficiary. And you’re able to front load up to five years’ worth of tax-exempt gifts … $85,000 in contributions per beneficiary this year ($17,000 if your spouse joins in). If you give the maximum, you’ll be treated as gifting $17,000 (or $34,000) to that beneficiary in each of 2023 through 2027.

A rule change makes it easier for grandparents to own and fund 529s without jeopardizing the grandchild’s future eligibility for financial aid.

New rules kick off
Under financial aid rules now in place, distributions from 529s owned by anyone other than a parent or student are treated as cash support, which can reduce eligibility for student’s financial aid by as much as 50 percent of the 529 distributed amount. New rules, which first take effect for the 2024-25 school year, resolve this problem. Students will no longer have to report 529 distributions from non-parent owned 529s when filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Ditto for cash gifts received by the students from non-parent family members.

Distributions from 529 plans used for college are tax-free. Eligible expenses include the cost of room and board for students enrolled at a college or university at least half-time, tuition, books, supplies, fees, computers, and internet access.
529 plans can help pay for K-12 education as well. Tax-free distributions of up to $10,000 per student per year can be taken from 529 accounts to pay tuition for elementary and secondary private and parochial schools. The state-tax treatment of these payouts doesn’t always follow federal law, so be sure to check with your state.

What if the beneficiary of the 529 account decides not to go to college ….
Or if he or she does go to college, and there are funds remaining at the end?

There are options for using the leftover money: Keep the funds in the account for grad school, etc. Use the 529 money to pay for certain apprenticeship programs. Roll over leftover funds to a 529 plan for another family member’s education needs. Use up to $10,000 tax-free to help pay off some of the beneficiary’s college debt. (This $10,000 is a lifetime limit.) Roll over funds tax-free from a beneficiary’s 529 plan to an ABLE account for a disabled beneficiary or the beneficiary’s siblings.

Secure 2.0 provides another helpful alternative for leftover 529 funds.
Starting in 2024, some 529 funds can be rolled over tax-free to a Roth IRA for the beneficiary in a trustee-to-trustee transfer. But there are lots of rules to follow. There’s a $35,000 lifetime rollover cap. The 529 account must have been open for at least 15 years, with the same beneficiary. Annual rollover amounts can’t exceed the annual contribution limit for Roth IRAs, which is $6,500 for 2023. And 529 contributions made in the prior five years are ineligible for the rollover.

Tejal Dhruve, CPA, LLC, a full-service tax and wealth management firm with offices in Wesley Chapel, Florida, and Dublin, Ohio, can be reached at (614) 742-7158 or email info@dhruvecpa.com

Estate Planning for Newlyweds

By SEEMA RAMROOP

Estate planning might sound like something only your wealthy great-uncle Frank has to worry about. You may wonder how your worldly possessions could possibly qualify as an “estate.” Believe it or not, almost everyone needs to take care of some basic estate planning, especially newlyweds. Most newlyweds don’t want to think of the possibility of losing their spouse, but the fact is that losing your spouse could be an even worse experience without the proper estate plan in place.


Wills
If you only do the bare minimum of estate planning, make it a will. In your will, you can leave your property to your spouse or whomever else you’d like. You should also determine secondary beneficiaries in the event that both of you die at the same time. Your will should name a designated executor, the person responsible for making sure your wishes are carried out.
Without a will, your property is at the mercy of your state’s laws. Depending on which state you live in, this could leave your spouse out in the cold. Additionally, if you have children, your will should designate guardians in case you and your spouse die at the same time.


Avoiding Probate
While creating a will is a great first step in estate planning, it cannot help you avoid probate. Probate is the process of executing a will, and it can take months or even years, and cost up to 5 percent of the value of the estate. The time and money involved in probate is probably not what you had in mind for your beneficiaries. If you live in a community property state, your property will automatically transfer to your spouse at the time of your death (unless noted otherwise in your will or prenuptial agreement). In a common law state, however, you’ll have to make sure that you and your spouse hold large property in “joint tenancy with right to survivorship.” This will ensure that your spouse automatically acquires ownership upon your death.
Another method of avoiding probate is the use of living trusts. A trust is a separate legal entity that holds property, so anything within a trust is exempt from probate upon your death. Marital trusts are trusts that address the specific needs of married couples. There are several types to choose from, with options for various circumstances.


Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
A prenuptial agreement is a contract made between two people before their marriage begins. A postnuptial agreement, as the name suggests, is created after the marriage takes place. Both agreements generally specify what property is held While creating a will is a great first step in estate planning, it cannot help you avoid probate by each party prior to marriage and how that property will be divided in the case of divorce or death of one spouse. Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements are especially useful for couples where one party owns a business, has children outside the marriage or has considerable property from before the marriage. These agreements can be helpful in determining property ownership, especially for couples living in a community property state who do not want all property evenly divided, or vice versa.


Beneficiary Designations
Certain property can be passed directly to beneficiaries without the use of a will or trust. For instance, life insurance benefits, retirement plans and bank accounts can all be left to your spouse when you die, as long as you name him or her as the account beneficiary. When you designate a beneficiary, your account becomes “payable on death,” thus avoiding probate court and fees. If you don’t want to leave an entire account to your spouse, you can split up the assets among various beneficiaries. It’s also a good idea to list secondary beneficiaries in case the primary beneficiary also dies. Naming beneficiaries on your accounts is fast and can be done without the help of a lawyer.


Living Wills
Your estate plan is not only a plan for your death, but also in case you were to become incapacitated. It’s important to determine what should happen to you and your property if you become unable to communicate or make decisions for yourself. A living will can specify health care treatments you do and do not want, and how you’d like to be treated in the hospital. For instance, do you want to be kept on life support? Do you want to be fed through a tube if necessary? Will you donate your organs? When and if the time comes, you won’t be able to answer these questions yourself. Avoid putting the decision-making burden on your spouse by listing your wishes in a living will.


Your estate plan should also include a power of attorney designation, which is the person to make decisions for you if you become unable to do so yourself. You’ll probably assign your spouse with power of attorney, because he or she is most likely to know your wishes. Even if you have a living will, your power of attorney can make decisions that aren’t specified there. For instance, the power of attorney can make financial decisions such as paying your bills or managing your money. You can invoke the power of attorney even if neither spouse becomes physically or mentally incapacitated — if one of you is out of town, for example, the other can sign important documents and make decisions on his or her behalf.


There are two major myths about estate planning. The first is that it is a grueling, depressing process. Getting your estate in order does not have to be difficult to complete. If you are relatively young and have a small estate, the process should be quick and can even bring couples closer to each other. The other myth is that your estate isn’t large enough to warrant an estate plan. If you’d like to override the state laws pertaining to property ownership, or if you’d like to ease the burden on your spouse in the event of your death, estate planning is definitely for you.

This article was written by Advicent Solutions, an entity unrelated to Prudential. Material is provided courtesy of Prudential Advisors. “Prudential Advisors” is a brand name of The Prudential Insurance Company of America and its subsidiaries. Prudential and its representatives do not give legal or tax advice. Please consult your own advisors regarding your particular situation. ©2019 Advicent Solutions.

Seema Ramroop, financial planner at Prudential Advisors, can be reached at (813) 957-8107 or email seema.ramroop@prudential.com

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