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What Does “FBO in Trust” Mean?

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FBO is an abbreviation for the common term “for the benefit of.” It’s often used in estate planning. In a trust, the term conveys ownership and value to the trustee. The FBO legal language is there to protect the rights of the beneficiary of the trust. If you want to leave your estate to one of your children, but you have a large extended family, including the FBO trust language may stop family squabbles when the proceeds of the trust are being distributed. If you have questions about what FBO means, it may be smart to talk to a financial advisor. Try using SmartAsset’s free advisor matching tool today to find a financial advisor.

FBO in Trust What It Means

A trust is a legal tool commonly used in estate planning to manage and protect assets for yourself or designated beneficiaries. By creating a trust, you ensure your property passes to your heirs according to your wishes. One of the main advantages of a trust is that it allows your estate to avoid probate court, potentially speeding up the transfer process and reducing associated costs. In some cases, a trust may also offer tax benefits. There are many types of trusts, each designed for specific goals and situations.

You may come across the phrase “FBO in trust” or “FBO trust” in trust documents. “FBO” stands for “for the benefit of” and identifies the individual, organization or entity meant to receive the trust’s assets. For example, if you want your trust to benefit a stepchild instead of your biological children, you would include the stepchild’s name after the FBO designation. Similarly, if you intend for a charity to receive the trust’s proceeds, you would list that organization as the beneficiary.

In many states, the law requires you to use the FBO phrase when the trust transfers value or ownership to a beneficiary. However, if the trust exists solely to manage or protect assets without assigning direct ownership, the designation usually isn’t necessary.

How to Establish an “FBO in Trust”

A couple work with their estate planning attorney to set up a trust with the FBO designation.

You must establish a trust with the FBO designation as an irrevocable trust. Once created, you cannot revoke or modify an irrevocable trust. When you place an asset into an irrevocable trust, ownership transfers to the trustee unless you are the trustee, in which case it stays with you. Nevertheless, you can’t change the trust. There are benefits to irrevocable trust. It may shield part of your income from taxes and, usually, any creditors have no access to the cash value of the trust or any asset in it. In this way, you protect your beneficiaries after your death. An irrevocable trust also has its own tax identification number (EIN).

A trust with the FBO designation has three parties. They are the settlor, the trustee and the beneficiary. The settlor is the person who establishes the trust and deposits assets into it. They also create its purpose, and, with the help of an attorney, the legal language associated with it. If the trust conveys value and ownership to the beneficiaries, it must have the FBO language in it. The trustee takes ownership of the trust in an FBO trust and manages its assets. The trustee also makes sure that the beneficiaries receive what is due to them from the trust. The trustee eventually distributes the assets in the trust to the beneficiaries, following the terms outlined in the trust.

Uses for an FBO Trust

There are many ways to use an FBO trust. An example is skipping a generation and allowing your grandchildren to inherit instead of your children. Other ways to use this kind of FBO trust is to choose whether your beneficiaries inherit a lump sum or the assets in the trust or if they have income distributed to them from the trust after its establishment.

An inherited individual retirement account (IRA) must be renamed after it is inherited and can be designated as a FBO Trust. The language in the trust document would be something like this: John Smith 2/16/2022 inherited IRA FOB Patty Smith where John Smith is the settlor and Patty Smith is the beneficiary.

Filing Taxes on an FBO Trust

A tax accountant or financial advisor should handle filing taxes on an FBO trust. The general procedure is to fill out and attach IRS Form 1041 and its associated schedules with your own federal income tax return, IRS Form 1040. You will probably need IRS Form 4797 for capital gains and losses, and IRS Form 4952 for interest. You must file taxes on the FBO Trust if it has generated more than $600 in income during that tax year.

Bottom Line

A man sets up a trust with the FBO designation.

There are other financial documents that may use the FBO designation. Some of them are living trusts which are revocable, charitable contributions, electronic funds transfers and 401(k) rollovers. Any trust that conveys value and ownership must also have an FBO designation. Types and purposes of trust vary widely, so make sure you do your research.

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