Trust types

Educational overview only; not legal or tax advice.

Alphabetical term lookup: estate-planning-glossary.md (Crummey, pecuniary, Clayton, inter vivos, pot trust, etc.). This note: one section per trust type with a definition and a facet table so names like "B trust" or "credit shelter" resolve to the same thing.

A-B / A-B-C mechanics: ab-abc-trust-plan.md.

How to read the facet tables

Each trust type below has a short definition, then a table with the same rows where they apply:

Facet	What it tells you
Also called	Other names you will see in plans and conversations
A-B / A-B-C role	Which letter trust this is in a married-couple split at first death (if any)
When created	During life, at death, or at first spouse's death
Revocable	Can grantor change or revoke?
Inter vivos / testamentary	Living trust vs created by will or death formula
Typical beneficiaries	Who receives income, principal, or remainder
Primary purpose	Why planners use this structure
Marital deduction	Qualifies for unlimited marital deduction on Form 706?
Uses estate exclusion	Consumes decedent's federal/state exclusion at funding?
In survivor's estate	Included in surviving spouse's taxable estate at second death?
Basis step-up	When assets get a new income-tax basis
Income tax	Grantor trust, trust-level 1041, or pass-through to beneficiaries
Crummey powers	Withdrawal rights for annual-exclusion gifts (see glossary)
GST / dynasty	Generation-skipping transfer planning role
Spendthrift	Typical creditor protection for beneficiaries
See-through (IRA)	Can be named IRA/Roth beneficiary under IRS rules?
Key tradeoff	Main benefit vs main cost

Quick index

Type	Also called
Revocable living trust	RLT, living trust
Testamentary trust	Trust under will or RLT formula
A trust	Survivor's trust, marital share (A-B-C)
B trust	Bypass, credit shelter, family trust
C trust	Marital QTIP (A-B-C)
Marital trust	Spouse-benefit trust for marital deduction
QTIP trust	Qualified terminable interest property
Clayton QTIP	Formula bypass-first, then QTIP
Disclaimer trust plan	Post-death disclaimer funds bypass
Dynasty / GST-exempt trust	Multi-generation trust
Child / age-stage trust	Staged distributions to descendants
Bloodline trust	Descendants-only remainder
Pot trust	Pooled trust for a class of beneficiaries
Conduit trust	IRA see-through; pass distributions out
Accumulation trust	IRA see-through; retain inside trust
Special needs trust	SNT
ILIT	Irrevocable life insurance trust
SLAT	Spousal lifetime access trust
GRAT	Grantor retained annuity trust
IDGT	Intentionally defective grantor trust
QPRT	Qualified personal residence trust
CRT	Charitable remainder trust
CLT	Charitable lead trust

Probate and everyday trusts

Browse by group

Probate and everyday trusts

Married-couple estate-tax trusts

Descendant and inheritance-control trusts

Lifetime irrevocable trusts

Charitable trusts

Income tax categories (cross-cutting)

These labels describe how the trust is taxed, not a separate estate-planning product. Any irrevocable trust may be drafted as one of these.

Category	Who pays income tax	Typical examples
Grantor trust	Grantor on Form 1040	RLT during life; ILIT; GRAT; IDGT; QPRT during term
Simple trust	Beneficiary for distributed accounting income	Some conduit trusts; mandatory income payout trusts
Complex trust	Trust and/or beneficiaries per DNI	Bypass trust; discretionary children's trusts; accumulation trust
Estate (post-death)	Estate or beneficiaries	Probate estate before distribution; may elect § 645 with QRT

See trust-taxation-and-gst.md and i1041-estates-trusts-instructions-summary.