A qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trust is an estate planning tool that allows the person making the trust (the grantor or settlor) to leave assets for their surviving spouse and direct how the assets remaining in the trust will be distributed to named beneficiaries at the death of the surviving spouse. QTIP trusts are irrevocable (cannot be revoked). At least one trustee (person or entity) must be appointed by the trust to manage the assets of the trust.

A QTIP trust will usually provide regular payments to the surviving spouse—often from the income generated by the assets in the trust. QTIP trusts are often used when the grantor remarries and has children from a previous marriage. If the grantor dies before the grantor’s subsequent spouse dies, the QTIP trust will make income payments to the subsequent spouse and hold the principal assets that were placed in the trust until the surviving spouse dies—at which point the assets will be distributed to the trust beneficiaries.

At the death of the grantor, the executor of the grantor’s estate will file the estate’s tax return and make an election (the QTIP election) of which assets will be placed in the QTIP trust by listing them on a schedule to the estate’s tax return. The assets in a QTIP trust are not subject to estate tax at the grantor’s death but are subject to estate tax at the death of the grantor’s surviving spouse.

In California, a Qualified Terminable Interest Property (QTIP) trust is a type of irrevocable trust used in estate planning to provide for a surviving spouse while maintaining control over the distribution of trust assets after the surviving spouse's death. The grantor creates the QTIP trust, funding it with assets that will generate income for the surviving spouse. The trust is designed to provide financial support to the surviving spouse during their lifetime, with the remaining assets passing to other named beneficiaries, such as children from a previous marriage, upon the surviving spouse's death. The QTIP trust allows the grantor to ensure that their assets ultimately benefit their chosen beneficiaries while taking advantage of marital deductions for estate tax purposes. When the grantor dies, the executor of their estate must file an estate tax return and make a QTIP election to specify which assets are to be placed in the trust. These assets are not subject to estate tax upon the grantor's death but will be included in the surviving spouse's estate for tax purposes when they pass away.