Virginia Code 64.2-779.9: Decanting power under limited distributive discretion
A. As used in this section, “limited distributive discretion” means a discretionary power of distribution that is limited to an ascertainable standard or a reasonably definite standard.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 64.2-779.9
- Ascertainable standard: means a standard relating to an individual's health, education, support, or maintenance within the meaning of § 2041(b)(1)(A) or 2514(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and any applicable regulations. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- Authorized fiduciary: means (i) a trustee or other fiduciary, other than a settlor, that has discretion to distribute or direct a trustee to distribute part or all of the income or principal of the first trust to one or more current beneficiaries and that is not (a) a current beneficiary of the first trust or a beneficiary to which the net income or principal of the first trust would be distributed if the first trust were terminated, (b) a trustee of the first trust that may be removed and replaced by a current beneficiary who has the power to remove the existing trustee of the first trust and designate as successor trustee a person that may be a related or subordinate party, as defined in 26 U. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
- Beneficiary: means a person that (i) has a present or future, vested or contingent, beneficial interest in a trust; (ii) holds a power of appointment over trust property; or (iii) is an identified charitable organization that will or may receive distributions under the terms of the trust. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- Decanting power: means the power of an authorized fiduciary under the Uniform Trust Decanting Act (§ 64. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- Fiduciary: includes a guardian, committee, trustee, executor, conservator, or personal representative. See Virginia Code 64.2-100
- Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
- First trust: means a trust over which an authorized fiduciary may exercise the decanting power. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- First-trust instrument: means the trust instrument for a first trust. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- General power of appointment: means a power of appointment exercisable in favor of a powerholder, the powerholder's estate, a creditor of the powerholder, or a creditor of the powerholder's estate. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: means an individual; estate; business or nonprofit entity; government; governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality; public corporation; or other legal entity. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- Reasonably definite standard: means a clearly measurable standard under which a holder of a power of distribution is legally accountable within the meaning of § 674(b)(5)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and any applicable regulations. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- Second trust: means (i) a first trust after modification, including a restatement of the first trust, under the Uniform Trust Decanting Act (§ 64. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
- Second-trust instrument: means the trust instrument for a second trust. See Virginia Code 64.2-701
B. An authorized fiduciary that has limited distributive discretion over the income or principal of the first trust for benefit of one or more current beneficiaries may exercise the decanting power over the income or principal of the first trust.
C. Under this section and subject to § 64.2-779.11, a second trust may be created or administered under the law of any jurisdiction. Under this section, the second trusts, in the aggregate, must grant each beneficiary of the first trust beneficial interests that are substantially similar to the beneficial interests of the beneficiary in the first trust. A second trust that defers or postpones a contingent right of a beneficiary to receive an outright distribution of assets upon the attainment of a certain age or upon the occurrence of a specific event (a “deferred distribution”) shall be substantially similar to the first trust if the second trust provides that (i) during the lifetime of the beneficiary, no portion of the income or principal attributable to the deferred distribution may be distributed to, or for the benefit of, any person other than the beneficiary and (ii) the beneficiary shall have a testamentary general power of appointment exercisable in favor of the beneficiary’s estate over the deferred distribution or the deferred distribution shall be payable to the beneficiary’s estate if the second trust does not terminate during the beneficiary’s lifetime.
D. A power to make a distribution under a second trust for the benefit of a beneficiary who is an individual is substantially similar to a power under the first trust to make a distribution directly to the beneficiary. A distribution is for the benefit of a beneficiary if:
1. The distribution is applied for the benefit of the beneficiary;
2. The beneficiary is under a legal disability or the trustee reasonably believes the beneficiary is incapacitated, and the distribution is made as permitted under this chapter; or
3. The distribution is made as permitted under the terms of the first-trust instrument and the second-trust instrument for the benefit of the beneficiary.
E. If an authorized fiduciary has limited distributive discretion over part but not all of the income or principal of a first trust, the fiduciary may exercise the decanting power under this section over that part of the income or principal over which the authorized fiduciary has limited distributive discretion.
2017, c. 592.