Income taxes

(a) A tax required to be paid by a trustee based on receipts allocated to income shall be paid from income. (b) A tax required to be paid by a trustee based on receipts allocated to principal shall be paid from principal, even if the tax is called an income tax by the taxing authority. (c) A tax required to be paid by a trustee on the trust’s share of an entity’s taxable income shall be paid: (1) From income to the extent that receipts from the entity are allocated only to income; (2) From principal to the extent that receipts from the entity are allocated only to principal; (3) Proportionately from principal and income to the extent that receipts from the entity are allocated to both income and principal; and (4) From principal to the extent that the tax exceeds the total receipts from the entity. (d) After applying subsections (a) through (c) of this Code section, the trustee shall adjust income or principal receipts to the extent that its taxes are reduced because it receives a deduction for payments made to a beneficiary. History. — Code 1981, § 53-12-454, enacted by Ga. L. 2010, p. 579, § 1/SB 131. 943 53-12-455 WILLS, TRUSTS, AND ESTATES 53-12-500 53-12-455. Adjustments between principal and income because of taxes. (a) A fiduciary may make adjustments between principal and income to offset the shifting of economic interests or tax benefits between income beneficiaries and remainder beneficiaries which arise from: (1) Elections and decisions, other than those described in subsection (b) of this Code section, that the fiduciary makes from time to time regarding tax matters; (2) An income tax or any other tax that is imposed upon the fiduciary or a beneficiary as a result of a transaction involving or a distribution from the estate or trust; or (3) The ownership by an estate or trust of an interest in an entity whose taxable income, whether or not distributed, is includable in the taxable income of the estate, trust, or a beneficiary. (b) If the amount of an estate tax marital deduction or charitable contribution deduction is reduced because a fiduciary deducts an amount paid from principal for income tax purposes instead of deducting it for estate tax purposes, and as a result estate taxes paid from principal are increased and income taxes paid by an estate, trust, or beneficiary are decreased, each estate, trust, or beneficiary that benefits from the decrease in income tax shall reimburse the principal from which the increase in estate tax is paid. The total reimbursement shall equal the increase in the estate tax to the extent that the principal used to pay the increase would have qualified for a marital deduction or charitable contribution deduction but for the payment. The proportionate share of the reimbursement for each estate, trust, or beneficiary whose income taxes are reduced shall be the same as its proportionate share of the total decrease in income tax. An estate or trust shall reimburse principal from income. History. — Code 1981, § 53-12-455, enacted by Ga. L. 2010, p. 579, § 1/SB 131. ARTICLE 18 TRUST DIRECTORS 53-12-500. Definitions.