Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 203d - Principal and Income
Section 17 - Insubstantial Allocations Not Required

Section 17. If a trustee determines that an allocation between principal and income required by section 18, 19, 20, 21 or 24 is insubstantial, the trustee may allocate the entire amount to principal unless 1 of the circumstances described in subsection (c) of section 4 applies to the allocation. This power may be exercised by a cotrustee in the circumstances described in subsection (d) of said section 4 and may be released for the reasons and in the manner described in subsection (e) of said section 4. An allocation is presumed to be insubstantial if:
(1) the amount of the allocation would increase or decrease net income in an accounting period, as determined before the allocation, by less than 10 per cent; or
(2) the value of the asset producing the receipt for which the allocation would be made is less than 10 per cent of the total value of the trust's assets at the beginning of the accounting period.

Structure Massachusetts General Laws

Massachusetts General Laws

Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations

Title II - Descent and Distribution, Wills, Estates of Deceased Persons and Absentees, Guardianship, Conservatorship and Trusts

Chapter 203d - Principal and Income

Section 1 - Short Title

Section 2 - Definitions

Section 3 - Fiduciary Duties; General Principles

Section 4 - Trustee's Power to Adjust

Section 5 - Judicial Control of Discretionary Powers

Section 6 - Determination and Distribution of Net Income

Section 7 - Distribution to Residuary and Remainder Beneficiaries

Section 8 - When Right to Income Begins and Ends

Section 8a - Apportionment of Receipts and Disbursements When Decedent Dies or Income Interest Begins

Section 9 - Apportionment When Income Interest Ends

Section 10 - Character of Receipts

Section 11 - Distribution From Trust or Estate

Section 12 - Business and Other Activities Conducted by Trustee

Section 13 - Principal Receipts

Section 14 - Rental Property

Section 15 - Obligation to Pay Money

Section 16 - Insurance Policies and Similar Contracts

Section 17 - Insubstantial Allocations Not Required

Section 18 - Deferred Compensation, Annuities and Similar Payments

Section 19 - Liquidating Asset

Section 20 - Minerals, Water, and Other Natural Resources

Section 21 - Timber

Section 22 - Property Not Productive of Income

Section 23 - Derivatives and Options

Section 24 - Asset-Backed Securities

Section 25 - Disbursements From Income

Section 26 - Disbursements From Principal

Section 27 - Transfers From Income to Principal for Depreciation

Section 28 - Transfers From Income to Reimburse Principal

Section 29 - Income Taxes