Portability-only plan

Survivor inherits outright; executor elects deceased spousal unused exclusion (DSUE) on Form 706. Listed for comparison — not a trust type.

FacetDetail
Also calledDSUE election, portability plan
A-B / A-B-C roleAlternative to B trust for federal exclusion only
When createdN/A — no bypass trust
RevocableSurvivor owns assets outright or in own RLT
Primary purposeSimplicity; preserve first spouse's unused federal exclusion
Uses estate exclusionFirst exclusion via DSUE at survivor's death — dollar amount frozen, not growth
Key tradeoffSimple vs no IL portability; appreciation in survivor's estate; lost if survivor remarries and second spouse dies