Following the lengthy run-up within the US fairness markets for the reason that backside of the 2008–2009 monetary disaster, many buyers with taxable funding accounts have probably discovered themselves with excessive embedded features of their portfolios. Whereas the features sign portfolio progress, in addition they create challenges for ongoing administration. As a result of when it comes time to rebalance the portfolio to its asset allocation targets – or to reallocate the portfolio to a brand new technique – any trades made to implement these adjustments can generate capital features, leading to tax penalties for the investor.
As soon as a portfolio turns into ‘locked up’, i.e., unable to be managed with out triggering capital features, buyers’ choices turn into restricted. Charitably inclined buyers can donate appreciated securities and keep away from features on the sale. If they do not plan to make use of the portfolio funds of their lifetime, they might merely maintain the belongings for heirs to protect the stepped-up foundation. In any other case, the investor would historically have needed to settle for that taxes would impose a drag on their portfolio efficiency going ahead.
One comparatively new technique, the Part 351 alternate, permits some buyers to reallocate belongings with out triggering capital features tax. Part 351 permits for tax deferral when belongings are transferred to a company in alternate for that company’s inventory, offered the transferor owns at the least 80% of the company following the alternate. Though the idea of Part 351 exchanges has existed for over a century, it has solely not too long ago been utilized to particular person funding portfolios.
The technique works by pooling the portfolios of a number of buyers in a newly created ETF, with the buyers receiving ETF shares in return for the belongings that they contributed. If the alternate meets the necessities of Part 351, it’s tax-deferred for buyers. And as soon as contained in the ETF ‘wrapper’, belongings may be reallocated with no tax impression for the buyers through the tax-efficient ETF construction, which makes use of in-kind creation and redemption of shares. In impact, buyers can successfully commerce a locked up for an ETF that may be managed with little or no tax impression in any respect!
Nonetheless, to fulfill the necessities for tax-deferred therapy beneath Part 351, every investor’s portfolio should meet a diversification take a look at, the place no single asset can exceed 25% of the portfolio’s worth and the highest 5 holdings can not exceed 50% of the general worth. Moreover, sure belongings, like mutual funds, different belongings, and REITs, is probably not eligible for alternate, though different ETFs usually are.
For monetary advisors, Part 351 exchanges current a possible answer for shoppers with excessive embedded features, comparable to those that by means of using tax-loss harvesting have lowered their portfolios’ foundation to the purpose the place it is now not attainable to reap any losses to offset the features realized in reallocating the portfolio. Just lately, a number of ETF sponsors have launched ETFs seeded in-kind by particular person buyers, creating a brand new channel for advisors who wish to make the most of Part 351 exchanges for shoppers. Some suppliers even supply companies to assist advisors launch their very own ETFs seeded by their shoppers’ funds.
Whereas the choices for Part 351 exchanges stay restricted – and a few advisors could not but be snug recommending them resulting from their quick observe document – the technique continues to be value watching. If it features traction, it may very well be a useful device for advisors to implement extra tax-efficient funding methods – whereas overcoming the inconvenient tax friction of implementing the technique to start with!
