This course provides a practical, real-world approach to trusts, focusing on the risks, responsibilities, and compliance challenges faced by professionals involved in trust administration. Participants will explore common problem areas, including fiduciary liability, improper accounting, tax reporting errors, and beneficiary disputes, while gaining a clear framework for understanding how trusts are created, classified, and administered.

The program also covers key tax and reporting concepts, including fiduciary accounting income versus taxable income, trust taxation under Subchapter J, and a step-by-step overview of Form 1041. In addition, participants will examine estate inclusion rules and planning considerations involving common trust structures, equipping them to navigate both the technical and practical complexities of trust work with greater confidence.

Topics & Learning Objectives Include:

• Fiduciary liability and professional risk in trust administration
• Trust accounting fundamentals and income vs principal allocation
• Fiduciary accounting income vs taxable income vs DNI
• Classification of trusts: revocable, irrevocable, grantor, simple, complex
• Form 1041 preparation and reporting – line-by-line approach
• Income taxation of trusts and compressed tax brackets
• Estate inclusion rules and retained interest provisions
• Common administrative pitfalls and compliance risks
• Specialized trust structures and planning applications

Arthur Werner is one of the most prominent Federal Tax lecturers in the nation, with a special expertise in Estate, Trusts and Elder Law issues.