In Notice 2018-37 the IRS clarified the treatment of alimony trusts following the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act repealed a deduction for alimony payments for agreements entered into after December 31, 2018, as well as for certain agreements modified after that date. 

IRC §682 provides special rules for an “alimony trust” which the IRS describes as follows:

Section 682 of the Code as in effect prior to the Act provides rules regarding the tax treatment of the income of certain trusts payable to a former spouse who was divorced or legally separated. Section 682(a) provides that there shall be included in the gross income of a wife who is divorced or legally separated under a decree of divorce or of separate maintenance (or who is separated from her husband under a written separation agreement) the amount of the income of any trust which such wife is entitled to receive and which, except for former § 682, would be includible in the gross income of her husband, and such amount shall not, despite any other provision of subtitle A of the Code, be includible in the gross income of such husband. Section 682(a), however, does not apply to any trust income payable under the terms of such decree or agreement or the trust instrument for the support of the husband's minor children.

Section 682(b) provides that, for purposes of computing the taxable income of the trust and the taxable income of a wife to whom § 682(a) applies, such wife shall be considered as the beneficiary specified in part I of subchapter J of chapter 1 of the Code.

Although the law specifically refers to the beneficiary as the “wife,” the IRS notes the following:

Section 7701(a)(17) as in effect prior to the Act provides that, as used in § 682, if the husband and wife therein referred to are divorced, wherever appropriate to the meaning of former § 682, the term “wife” shall be read “former wife” and the term “husband” shall be read “former husband;” and, if the payments described in former § 682 are made by or on behalf of the wife or former wife to the husband or former husband instead of vice versa, wherever appropriate to the meaning of former § 682, the term “husband” shall be read “wife” and the term “wife” shall be read “husband.”

At the same time that the deduction for alimony under IRC §71 is removed from the IRC, TJCA also removes the alimony trust provision at IRC §682 from the law.  The IRS clarified that, despite the removal of IRC §682 from the law at that date, regulations will provide the provision still will apply to grandfathered instruments.

As the Notice provides:

The regulations will provide that § 682, as in effect prior to December 22, 2017, will continue to apply with regard to trust income payable to a former spouse who was divorced or legally separated under a divorce or separation instrument (as defined in § 71(b)(2)) executed on or before December 31, 2018, unless such instrument is modified after that date and the modification provides that the changes made by § 11051 of the Act apply to the modification.

The IRS has also requested comments on the potential impact on grantor trust provisions of the repeal of IRC §682.  The Notice continues:

Section 672(e)(1)(A) of the Code provides that the grantor of a trust shall be treated as holding any power or interest in such trust held by any individual who was the spouse of the grantor at the time of the creation of such power or interest.

Section 674(a) of the Code provides, in general, that the grantor shall be treated as the owner of any portion of a trust in respect of which the beneficial enjoyment of the corpus or the income therefrom is subject to a power of disposition, exercisable by the grantor or a nonadverse party (as defined in § 672(b)), or both, without the approval or consent of any adverse party (as defined in § 672(a)). However, § 674(d) provides that § 674(a) shall not apply to a power solely exercisable (without the approval or consent of any other person) by a trustee or trustees, none of whom is the grantor or spouse living with the grantor, to distribute, apportion, or accumulate income to or for a beneficiary or beneficiaries, or to, for, or within a class of beneficiaries, whether or not the conditions of § 674(b)(6) or (7) are satisfied, if such power is limited by a reasonably definite external standard which is set forth in the trust instrument.

Section 677(a) of the Code provides that the grantor of a trust shall be treated as the owner of any portion of a trust, whether or not the grantor is treated as such owner under § 674, whose income without the approval or consent of any adverse party is, or, in the discretion of the grantor or a nonadverse party, or both, may be distributed to the grantor or the grantor's spouse, or held or accumulated for future distribution to the grantor or the grantor's spouse.

The Treasury Department and IRS request comments on whether guidance is needed regarding the application of §§ 672(e)(1)(A), 674(d), and 677 following a divorce or separation in light of the repeal of former § 682.