Has there been an IRS ruling?

Yes. There has been a private letter ruling from the IRS, which resulted in a favorable outcome for the framework of the Deferred Sales Trust structure. Additionally, there have been numerous audits conducted by the IRS, including 13 income tax deferral audits and an Estate Tax Audit. Periodic reviews of advisors and the entire structure were conducted by the IRS in 2006, 2008, and 2019, all of which resulted in "no change audits." There has not been a single issue raised by the IRS regarding the Deferred Sales Trust.