North Carolina General Statutes
Article 4B - Charitable Remainder Trust Administration Act.
§ 36C-4B-5 - Administrative provisions applicable to charitable remainder trusts only.

36C-4B-5. Administrative provisions applicable to charitable remainder trusts only.
(a) Creation of Annuity Amount for Period of Years or Life. - In each taxable year of the trust, the trustee shall pay the annuity amount designated in the trust instrument to the beneficiaries named in the trust instrument during their lives or, if the governing instrument so provides, for a period of 20 years or less. The annuity amount shall be paid annually or in more frequent equal or unequal installments if the governing instrument so provides. The annuity amount shall be paid from income and, to the extent that income is not sufficient, from principal. Any income of the trust for a taxable year in excess of the annuity amount shall be added to principal.
The total amount payable at least annually to a person or persons named in the trust document, at least one of which is not an organization described in section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, may not be less than five percent (5%) of the initial net fair market value of the property placed in trust as finally determined for federal tax purposes, except as provided in subsection (g) of this section.
(b) Computation of Annuity Amount in Short and Final Taxable Years. - For a short taxable year and for the taxable year in which the noncharitable beneficiary's interest terminates by death or otherwise, the trustee shall prorate the annuity amount on a daily basis.
(c) Prohibition of Additional Contributions. - No additional contributions shall be made to the trust after the initial contribution.
(d) Deferral of Annuity Amount During Period of Administration or Settlement. - When property passes to the trust at the death of the settlor, the obligation to pay the annuity amount commences with the date of death of the settlor, but payment of the annuity amount may be deferred from the date of the settlor's death to the end of the taxable year in which complete funding of the trust occurs. Within a reasonable time after the end of the taxable year in which the complete funding of the trust occurs, the trustee must pay to the beneficiary, in the case of an underpayment, or must receive from the beneficiary, in the case of an overpayment, the difference between:
(1) Any annuity amounts actually paid, plus interest on those amounts computed at ten percent (10%) a year, compounded annually; and
(2) The annuity amounts payable, determined under the method described in Section 1.664-1(a)(5) of the federal income tax regulations, plus interest on those amounts computed at ten percent (10%) a year, compounded annually.
Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, in computing any underpayment or overpayment of the annuity amounts, if the governing instrument was executed or last amended before August 9, 1984, and if the governing instrument does not specify that a ten percent (10%) rate of interest shall be used, the underpayment or overpayment of the annuity amounts must be computed using an interest rate at six percent (6%) a year, compounded annually.
(e) Dollar Amount Annuity May Be Stated as Fraction or Percentage. - If the governing instrument of the trust states the amount of the annuity as a fraction or a percentage, the trustee must pay to the beneficiaries in each taxable year of the trust during their lives an annuity amount equal to a percentage (that percentage being stipulated in the governing instrument of the trust and, in any event, being five percent (5%) or greater) of the initial net fair market value of the assets constituting the trust. In determining this amount, assets shall be valued at their values as finally determined for federal tax purposes. If the fiduciary incorrectly determines the initial net fair market value of the assets constituting the trust, then, within a reasonable period after a final determination, the trustee shall pay to the beneficiaries, in the case of an undervaluation or shall receive from the beneficiaries, in the case of an overvaluation, an amount equal to the difference between the annuity amount properly payable and the annuity amount actually paid.
(f) Annuity Amount May Be Allocated Among Class of Noncharitable Beneficiaries in Discretion of Trustee. - If the governing instrument of the trust provides that the annuity trust amount may be allocated among a class of noncharitable beneficiaries in the discretion of the trustee, then the trustee must pay the annuity amount, which is defined in the governing instrument of the trust, in each taxable year of the trust, to the member or members of the class of noncharitable beneficiaries in an amount and proportions as the trustee in the trustee's absolute discretion shall from time to time determine until the last of the noncharitable beneficiaries dies. The trustee may pay the entire annuity amount to one member of this class or may apportion it among the various members in a manner as the trustee from time to time considers advisable as long as the power to allocate does not cause any person to be treated as the owner of any part of the trust under the rules of section 671 through section 678 of the Internal Revenue Code. If the class provided for in the governing instrument is open, then the distribution must be for a period of years not to exceed 20 years, notwithstanding a provision to the contrary in the trust instrument. If the class provided for in the governing instrument is closed at the creation of the trust, and all members of the class are ascertainable, the distribution may be for the lives of the members of the class or for a period not exceeding 20 years. The trustee shall pay the entire annuity amount for each taxable year annually and may not delay payment of the annuity amount.
(g) Reduction of Annuity Amount If Part of Corpus Is Paid to Charity at Expiration of Term of Years or on Death of Recipient. - If the governing instrument of the trust provides for the reduction of the annuity amount if part of the corpus is paid to charity at the expiration of a term of years or upon the death of a recipient, then during the term of years or during the joint lives of the noncharitable beneficiaries, the trustee shall, in each taxable year of the trust, pay a total annuity amount of at least five percent (5%) of the initial net fair market value of the assets placed in trust. Upon the expiration of the term of years or the death of a beneficiary, the trustee shall distribute an amount or percentage of the trust assets, as provided in the governing instrument of the trust, to the charity named in the governing instrument, and thereafter the trustee shall pay, annually or in more frequent installments, to the survivors for their lives, an annuity amount that in each taxable year of the trust, bears the same ratio to five percent (5%) of the initial net fair market value of the trust assets as the net fair market value of the trust assets valued as of the date of distribution, less the amount or percentage of trust assets distributed to the charity, bears to the net fair market value of the trust assets as of the date of distribution.
(h) Termination of Annuity Amount on Payment Date Preceding Termination of Noncharitable Interest. - If the governing instrument of the trust provides that payment of the annuity amount may terminate with the regular payment preceding the termination of all noncharitable interests, then the trustee must pay to the noncharitable beneficiary during the term of the noncharitable interest the annuity amount, defined in the trust document, in each taxable year of the trust. The obligation of the trustee to pay the annuity amount shall terminate with the payment preceding the death of the noncharitable beneficiary or other event that terminates the noncharitable interest.
(i) Retention of Testamentary Power to Revoke Noncharitable Interest. - If the governing instrument of the trust provides that the settlor of the trust retains the power, exercisable only by will, to revoke or terminate the interest of any recipient other than an organization described in section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, then the trustee shall pay to the settlor during the settlor's life the annuity amount, as defined in the governing instrument of the trust and, upon the death of the settlor, if the noncharitable beneficiary survives the settlor, the trustee must pay to the noncharitable beneficiary during that beneficiary's life the annuity amount equal to the amount paid to the settlor. The settlor shall have the power, exercisable only by will, to revoke and terminate the interest of the noncharitable beneficiary under the trust. Upon the first to occur of (i) the death of the survivor of the settlor and noncharitable beneficiary; or (ii) the death of the settlor if the settlor effectively exercised the settlor's testamentary power to revoke and terminate the interest of the noncharitable beneficiary, the trustee must distribute all of the then principal and income of the trust, other than any amount due the settlor or noncharitable beneficiary, to the charity named in the trust document or, if the governing instrument so provides, the trustee must continue to hold the principal and income in trust for the charity or for the charitable purposes specified in the trust. No other retained power to terminate an interest in the trust is effective. (1981 (Reg. Sess., 1982), c. 1252, s. 1; 1985, c. 406, s. 6; 2005-192, s. 2.)

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