For your most appreciated assets: plan the sale and the next 20 years at once.
Total Estate Shield is a trust-based structure for owners of highly appreciated assets worth $5M or more. It addresses capital gains at the sale and the tax drag on what comes after.
20 minutes. If nothing fits, we'll say so.
- 01 $5M+ asset value
- 02 80%+ of value is gain
- 03 Works with businesses, real estate, securities and crypto
Most planning only asks when you'll pay. This asks whether you have to.
Advisors usually treat capital gains tax as inevitable. You pay now, or you defer and pay later. On a large, highly appreciated asset, 20–35% of the proceeds can go to tax at sale, and the money you reinvest keeps paying tax on its growth for decades.
How it works
Phase one: the sale. Your appreciated asset is sold through a trust structured under IRC §678, which treats a designated beneficiary as the owner for income tax purposes. The transaction is designed so the capital gain is not recognized immediately.
Phase two: what comes after. The proceeds are placed in a tax-advantaged vehicle where growth and distributions are structured to be free of income and capital gains tax. Assets in the structure can also pass to the next generation as part of your estate plan.
Compared with a conventional sale
| Conventional sale | Total Estate Shield |
|---|---|
| Capital gains tax at sale (20–35%) | Designed to avoid immediate recognition of the gain |
| Ongoing tax on investment growth | Tax-advantaged growth |
| Distributions taxed | Distributions structured to be tax-free |
| Estate exposed to income and estate tax | Built for multigenerational wealth transfer |
Who it's for
You may be a fit if
- Owns an asset with fair market value of $5M or more
- 80% or more of the value is gain
- Asset not yet sold, and qualifies for long-term capital gains treatment
- Business interests, investment real estate, publicly traded securities, cryptocurrency, or partnership interests
- Wants long-term tax-advantaged compounding more than immediate liquidity
- Interested in estate planning and passing wealth to the next generation
Key benefits
-
Address the gain at sale, not just defer it.
-
Tax-advantaged growth
on future appreciation.
-
Tax-advantaged distributions
when you need income.
-
Generational transfer
Assets can pass to heirs inside the structure.
-
Broad asset eligibility
Includes securities and crypto, which installment sales and 1031 exchanges exclude.
Fees
Implementation fees average 6–7% of the value of the assets monetized, are fully disclosed up front, and are typically offset by the first-year tax difference. No fees are charged on future investment growth.
Total Estate Shield in practice
A client repositioned a $16M stock position through Total Estate Shield. The case study projects a $1.9M immediate advantage over a taxable sale and $16.7M more in net wealth after 20 years.
Questions
When do I need to start?
Before you sell. The asset must still be in your ownership.
How is this different from Capital Gains Deferral?
Capital Gains Deferral postpones the tax and lets you control timing. Total Estate Shield is designed for larger, highly appreciated assets and long-term tax-advantaged growth.
Holding a large appreciated position? Let's talk before you sell.
20 minutes. If nothing fits, we'll say so.
Total Estate Shield is an advanced trust-based strategy. Eligibility is confirmed in diligence, and outcomes depend on individual facts, proper implementation, and current law. This is not tax, legal, or investment advice.