Tax Playbook · Big life moves
SLATs and grantor trusts
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One spouse gifts assets into an irrevocable trust for the other, using the $15 million per-person 2026 gift and estate tax exemption. The gifted money and all its future growth leave your estate, yet your spouse can still use it while you are married. Never have both spouses set up mirror trusts for each other — the IRS can collapse them under the reciprocal trust doctrine. This is advanced estate planning: use a lawyer.
Good for: Wealthy married couples doing estate planning.
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Recent articles & guides
- Faegre Drinker: 2026 estate tax exemption and planning considerations
- Wealth Enhancement Group: Should you consider a spousal lifetime access trust
- Vanilla: What is a spousal lifetime access trust (SLAT)
- Knox Law: Spousal lifetime access trust (SLAT)
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Educational summary, not tax advice. Limits and rules change — confirm current law with your tax adviser.