What is the Date of Valuation of Inherited and Disclaimed Stock Options?
Full Question:
Answer:
A beneficiary under a living trust may disclaim an interest in property according to state statutes. According to the relevant KS statute, "In every case, the disclaimer shall relate back for all purposes to the date of death of the decedent or the donee, as the case may be, except that, in the case of a beneficiary under the terms of an inter vivos trust, the disclaimer shall relate back to the date of the transfer." For gift tax purposes, a transferred option is not a completed gift until the option is fully vested (nonforfeitable). There is a special rule under the estate tax that allows the executor (the person in charge of the estate) to elect a different valuation date in certain cases. If the estate qualifies for this election, and the executor makes the election, the valuation date is six months after the date of death.
Valuation of stock options is a complex area that depends on all the variables involved in each case. In a 1998 Revenue Procedure, the IRS provided a methodology for valuing a transferred option for gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes. The revenue procedure applies only to the valuation of nonpublicly traded compensatory stock options on publicly traded stock and provides that taxpayers may use a generally recognized option pricing model, such as the Black-Scholes model, or an accepted version of the binomial model to value the option. (A number of other conditions and requirements also apply.) The methodology offered by the revenue procedure is merely a safe harbor. As it is a safe harbor, it offers a very conservative approach to valuing an option. A taxpayer may wish to seek professional advice in obtaining a valuation from an independent appraiser that could result in a lower valuation. The area of estate and gift tax valuation can be an ever-changing minefield of laws, regulations, and court decisions, we suggest you consult a tax or valuation professional who can review al lthe facts and documents involved.
Please see the following KS statutes:
59-2291. Disclaimer of interest in property; persons authorized; disclaimer instrument, contents, validity.
(a) A person or the personal representative of a person may disclaim in whole, in part or in an undivided part any real or personal property, or any interest therein or power thereover, passing upon death of another to such person as: (1) Heir; (2) next of kin; (3) devisee; (4) legatee; (5) a person succeeding to a disclaimed interest; (6) beneficiary under a testamentary instrument; (7) beneficiary under an insurance policy; (8) joint owner with a right of survivorship in real or personal property, to the extent the survivor may take more than the survivor's equitable portion of the property; (9) a person named to take on the death of the other person; (10) donee of a power of appointment; (11) beneficiary under the terms of an inter vivos trust; or (12) a person designated to take pursuant to a power of appointment exercised by or under a testamentary instrument.
(b) Disclaimer pursuant to this act shall be made by filing a written instrument and giving notice thereof in the manner hereinafter provided. The instrument shall: (1) Describe the property, interest or power subject to the disclaimer, (2) contain a declaration of disclaimer and the extent thereof and (3) be signed and acknowledged by the disclaimant.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b), a disclaimer shall only be valid to the extent that it does not conflict with K.S.A. 39-709 and amendments thereto.
59-2293. Same; effect of disclaimer; disclaimer barred, when; limit on disclaimant's interest of no effect; interests subject to disclaimer; disclaimer applicable to income from property disclaimed.
(a) Unless the decedent or donee of the power has otherwise provided, the property, interest or power disclaimed as provided in K.S.A. 59-2291 and amendments thereto shall descend or be distributed as if the disclaimant had predeceased the decedent or, if the disclaimant is designated to take pursuant to a power of appointment exercised by or under a testamentary instrument, as if the disclaimant had predeceased the donee of the power. In every case, the disclaimer shall relate back for all purposes to the date of death of the decedent or the donee, as the case may be, except that, in the case of a beneficiary under the terms of an inter vivos trust, the disclaimer shall relate back to the date of the transfer.
(b) Any conveyance of or contract to convey real property or any interest therein, any assignment or transfer of or contract to assign or transfer personal property, any written waiver of the right to disclaim the taking of or power over real or personal property or any sale or other disposition of real or personal property pursuant to judicial process by a person attempting to disclaim the taking of or power over property bars the right of such person to disclaim as to the power, property or interest.
(c) The right to disclaim shall exist irrespective of any limitation on the interest of the disclaimant in the nature of a spendthrift provision or similar restriction.
(d) A disclaimer when filed and recorded or a written waiver of the right to disclaim shall be final, and the disclaimer or waiver cannot be revoked and shall be binding upon the disclaimant or person waiving, the personal representative of the disclaimant or person waiving and all parties claiming the right to disclaim or waive by, through or under the disclaimant or person waiving, except that, in the case of disclaimer, the interest in or power over the property shall pass as provided in subsection (a) unless otherwise provided by the instrument creating the interest or power or unless the interest or power is further disclaimed by the person succeeding to the disclaimed interest or power.
(e) Any interest in real or personal property which exists on the effective date of this act, but which has not then become indefeasibly fixed both in quality and quantity, or the taker of which has not then become finally ascertained, may be disclaimed after the effective date of this act in the manner provided herein, but no interest which has become fixed prior to the effective date of this act in any person other than the disclaimant shall be destroyed or diminished by any action of the disclaimant taken pursuant to this act.
(f) Any interest, rents, profits or other income which arises from an interest in property disclaimed pursuant to this act and which accrues between the date of the death of the decedent or donee and the date of the disclaimer shall be the property of the person entitled to receive the disclaimed interest in the property and the person shall have a right of action against the disclaimant to recover that income.
History: L. 1968, ch. 367, § 3; L. 1980, ch. 168, § 3; L. 1982, ch. 236, § 1; July 1.
Please see the information at the following links to determine applicability:
http://www.daypitney.com/news/docs/dp_2063.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valuation_of_options
http://www.allbusiness.com/personal-finance/individual-taxes-gift-tax/698742-1.html
