The Advantages of Gifting

Are there any tax benefits of gifting money? And is gifting money a tax free process? Well, it depends.

Sometimes, you may get away with not paying any taxes on the gifts you give others or receive from them. But there may also be times when you have to give the IRS its fair share.

The Internal Revenue Service’s tax regulations encourage American generosity in the form of gifts to family and friends while you’re alive. Gifts of cash, property and investments that don’t exceed your lifetime gift tax and your annual gift tax exclusion don’t create a tax bill for you or the recipient.

The IRS applies the same limits to your children, parents, other relatives and even your friends. If your financial situation supports your gifting, small or large, there’s no reason to wait to share your wealth with others while you are living.

The potential tax implications of gifts fall on the donor instead of the recipient. However, if you don’t exceed the exclusion limits, you won’t see a hike in your annual tax bite.

Under 2021 tax laws, the IRS gives you a lifetime gift tax exemption of ​$11.7 million​. Couples filing jointly enjoy double that amount with regard to the lifetime gift tax exemption. In addition, married U.S. citizens may inherit an unlimited amount of property from their spouse. Expect inflation to increase this lifetime limit in the future.

Read More: Married Filing Jointly: When Married Couples Should File With This Status

For the tax years 2020 and 2021, the IRS has set the annual gift tax exclusion for individual taxpayers at ​$15,000 ​per donor, per recipient. This amount includes cash and property. For married couples filing jointly, the exclusion doubles to ​$30,000​.

If you don’t give any recipient more than the annual limit, the IRS lets you keep track of your annual gift amounts yourself. However, you must report every gift amount that exceeds the annual exclusion limit on your tax return. And remember, any individual gift amount above your annual exclusion limit reduces your lifetime gift tax exclusion.

When gifting property, you should get an appraisal and report the fair market value of the property on your tax return when required.

Read More: Tax Filing Status: How to Choose the Correct Filing Status

One of the advantages of gift giving is that that your gift recipient gets from your early gifting is the enjoyment of the support that your gift gives them. The gift is tax-free for them, and they could benefit from letting it grow.

Cash gifts might also help your children or a close friend start a business. You can give your grandchildren money to explore educational opportunities without incurring crushing debt.

Some gift recipients will be happy to save a gift from you that could help them feel more secure about surviving economic setbacks. Your children, parents and even friends might appreciate a gifted vehicle that supplies reliable transportation.

Except for qualified charitable organizations, gifts tend not to be deductible for donors. And where deductions are allowed, the amounts that can be deducted are minimal and may not make that much of a difference.

Therefore, your gifts are unlikely to reduce your adjusted gross income or your taxable income. However, as the donor, of course you get to enjoy the appreciation of your recipient’s appreciation.

However, some gifts that you make have a more far-reaching effect. When you use strategic gifting, you can reduce the value of your estate. Your heirs will benefit from receiving some of their potential inheritance in advance of your death. In addition, their estate tax burden will be less.

Ultimately, it’s possible that the funds or property you gift to your heirs while living will position them financially to handle estate taxes when they come due. Financial advisers can help you decide if advance gifting or early inheritances can offer estate tax advantages to your heirs.