Tina Leslie, CTFA, Vice President, Regional Manager, Senior Trust & Fiduciary Advisor
An effective estate plan aligns with the owner’s wishes and remains flexible to accommodate changes in preferences, tax laws, distribution rules, and asset protection.
In 2022, D.A. Davidson Trust Company established its Nevada situs, which included opening an office in the Reno area. Nevada offers highly flexible and tax-efficient trust options, making it an attractive choice for trust domicile considerations. With a Nevada situs, D.A. Davidson Trust Company can now administer all Nevada advantaged trusts. The Nevada team can also administer trusts from most states without any additional taxation. This may be a good opportunity for families considering multiple jurisdictions to maximize their estate plans.
Why did D.A. Davidson Trust Company choose Nevada?
- Nevada has no state income, gift, generation skipping, inheritance, or estate taxes. Estate plans are most effective when considering tax savings. Nevada situs trusts are used to prevent taxation from any other state in which a trust may be administered. Further, there is no residency requirement for the grantor or beneficiaries of a Nevada trust. When named as trustee or co-trustee, D.A. Davidson Trust Company fulfills the creation requirement under Nevada law and continues to play a vital role to ensure compliance with all ongoing requirements and regulations.
- Nevada has been a leader in flexibility in trust law. Advantageous flexibility like “decanting” an existing trust into a new trust is an estate planning technique frequently utilized to maximize the effectiveness of a situs change. Designating Nevada governing law in documents via a decanting is an effective method to address unanticipated life circumstances or resolve problems with the original trust.
- Nevada statutes allow for dynasty trusts that can exist for up to 365 years, effectively protecting the transfer of assets from one generation to the next without triggering transfer taxes. This can prove beneficial for legacy planning and long-term wealth strategies.
- Nevada is also known for strong asset protection. These trusts are used to protect assets from creditors and lawsuits. Nevada statutes include self-settled trusts with a two-year cooling off period.
When should you consider a Nevada trust?
If you have an estate which exceeds the current lifetime exemption1 and answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you should consider domiciling your trust in Nevada with D.A. Davidson Trust Company:
- Do you have business assets, hard-to-value assets, or hard-to-liquidate assets that allow discounted gifting value?
- Are you an ultra-high-net-worth family with multi-generational family wealth transfer needs?
- Are your assets susceptible to creditor issues or lawsuits?
More opportunities of a Nevada domiciled trust may be available to maximize your estate plan. Talk with your financial professional or a D.A. Davidson Trust Company Trust & Fiduciary Advisor to see if a Nevada trust is the right option for your estate plan.
1 The filing threshold is $13,990,000 for an individual that dies in 2025 (IRS.gov).
This material is intended for general consumer educational purposes and is not intended to provide legal, tax or investment advice. Always consult your tax advisor for specific tax advice.
Investment and insurance products are NOT FDIC Insured | NOT Bank Guaranteed | MAY Lose Value
D.A. Davidson & Co. is a registered broker-dealer and registered investment adviser that does not provide tax or legal advice. Information contained herein has been obtained by sources we consider reliable but is not guaranteed and we are not soliciting any action based upon it. Any opinions expressed are based on our interpretation of the data available to us at the time of the original article. These opinions are subject to change at any time without notice. Copyright D.A. Davidson & Co., 2025. All rights reserved. Member FINRA and SIPC.