As you or family members approach retirement years, it is important to have a basic understanding of the IRS gift tax rules. With this understanding, there are opportunities to leverage this tax law without creating a tax problem.

The rules
  • Make periodic gifts. Remember the gift-giving limit is per calendar year. To take full advantage of this tax-free transfer, consider starting now and make periodic payments. Every year you miss out on this annual limit reduces the amount a couple can transfer tax-free to each individual donee by up to $30,000 per year.
  • Fund college saving. Consider donating money into 529 College Saving plans for children and grandchildren. This can be done with automated deposits into the account. The account could be established by you or your grandchild’s parent.
  • Pay medical and education bills direct. If you are concerned about exceeding the annual limit for gifts to a single person, consider paying bills directly. Examples of this strategy might be paying medical bills directly to a hospital or directly paying college bills for a loved one.
  • Donate property. Gifts can include property as well as cash. You can donate investments or other physical property. If you do this, document the fair market value of the property when you transfer it. The IRS requires this documentation to ensure the value of the property transferred is consistently valued by you and the person receiving the gift.
  • Help build a down payment. Often children burdened with college debt cannot afford to save the down payment required to own their first home. You can aid in this by helping build a down payment through gift transfers.
  • Leave a cushion. Remember the annual limit. If you provide a gift for the maximum allowable to an individual, you may not provide any other gifts to this person during the year or the event would be deemed excess gift giving and require filing a gift tax form.
Keep it in perspective

Understanding and leveraging the annual gift tax rules can create tremendous tax savings. But this strategy should be done in conjunction with understanding your personal financial needs. Providing gifts of funds that you might later need for your own retirement can be problematic. It is best to review your gift plans prior to taking action.

The Mangold Group, CPAs, PC provides tax planning and often works with clients’ financial advisors in a team approach. If you need professional assistance, visit Tax Services and contact our office.

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