“Despite positive opinions on GSD gift taxation, the Tax Court’s analysis of the potential estate taxation of economic benefit GSDs will require a long, hard look at these arrangements and their continued viability.  For the first time, two very recent Tax Court opinions (Est. of Cahill v. Commissioner and Est. of Morrissette v. Commissioner) have discussed the court’s view of the estate taxation of economic benefit GSDs.  Neither Cahill nor Morrissette is a final decision on the merits. Yet the court’s reasoning in Cahill strongly suggests that, at least in that case, the Tax Court may find that the parent’s estate includes the full value of the reimbursement right under the economic benefit GSD.  This finding would eliminate the possibility of a significant valuation adjustment for the reimbursement and undercut one rationale for using economic benefit GSDs in estate tax planning.” 

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